ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 High of 89 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave height of 2 to 4 feet. REGIONAL | P2 PUERTO RICO HIGH COURT OVERTURNS PIERLUISI AS GOVERNOR SPORT | P11 PAN AM GAMES: HYMAN FALLS JUST SHORT OF FINALS QUALIFICATION Regulated in the Cayman Islands as a licensed insurer by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Generali Worldwide is a trading name of Utmost Worldwide Limited. Registered Head Office address: Utmost Worldwide Limited, Utmost House, Hirzel Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands GY1 4PA. Regulated in Guernsey as a licensed insurer by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Insurance Business (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2002 (as amended). Incorporated in Guernsey under Company Registration No. 27151. Contact us to learn more about our FREE Apps at 747-2000. Member Benefits at your fingertips! www.generali-healthcare.com Reduced fleet leads to Cayman Airways delays KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky Grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 jets, following fatal crashes of the model in Ethiopia and Indonesia, continues to dis- rupt the Cayman Airways’ flight schedule. The airline was among the first in the world to ground the jets in March, just one week after the carrier’s second Max 8 air- craft touched down in Grand Cayman for the first time. Five months later, a reduced fleet has left the airline struggling to fulfil its flight schedule, leaving many customers frus- trated by long delays. Flight KX793 from New York, for ex- ample, scheduled to arrive at 11:45am Monday, arrived in George Town at 4:03am Tuesday, according to www.airportia.com. Records for the route indicate that in the past 30 days, the average delay for KX793 was 104 minutes and the flight was on time 43% of the time. In the past week, flight KX107, sched- uled to arrive from Miami at 10:05pm, has landed in Grand Cayman as late as 4:05am. Flight KX105 out of Miami, scheduled to land at 5:45pm, arrived Sunday at 1:53am. One customer who contacted the Com- pass complained about the difficulty finding taxis from Owen Roberts International Air- port after late-night arrivals. The Public Transport Unit and the Cayman Islands Airports Authority did not respond to requests for comment about ad- dressing late-night transportation issues from the airport. Another customer, delayed in New York for six-and-a-half hours on Tuesday, said travellers were each provided with a US$12 food voucher for the inconvenience. A statement from the airline explained that recent disruptions have been provoked by technical problems, exacerbated by the airline’s reduced fleet of just three aircraft. “While necessary adjustments were made to the airline’s flight schedule to op- erate with a reduced fleet, it has left the airline with little redundancy in the event of an aircraft being out of service,” a press statement read. The first technical problem resulted in one plane providing limited service be- tween Wednesday and Saturday. “Unfortunately, despite best efforts, Cayman Airways was unable to secure a substitute jet aircraft, and, being short one plane, passengers and crew on certain flights experienced extended delays,” the airline said. That aircraft was returned to service Saturday evening, according to the airline, after the unspecified technical problem was resolved. FIFA president to visit Cayman on Friday SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@compassmedia.ky The regional and global heads of the international game of football will be in Cayman Friday. Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, and Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, will lead a delegation to visit Cayman and conduct a progress report on the Cayman Islands Football Association. Alfredo Whittaker, the head of CIFA, said the delegation will meet with Premier Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Sport Juliana O’Connor- Connolly and MLA David Wight before holding a 10am press con- ference at the Government Adminis- tration Building. “They’re just coming to have a review of what we’ve done in the past year in changing CIFA and upgrading the national teams and tournaments,” said Whittaker. “We’ve been doing so much to in- crease participation of national teams of Cayman in the interna- tional arena. It’s remarkable.” Whittaker told the Cayman Compass in March that FIFA was satisfied with the findings of an audit into CIFA’s finances and that the international body could re- sume funding CIFA in 2019. That funding could be worth as much as $5 million this year, said GOV’T CLAIMS PORT PETITIONERS CAN ‘UNVERIFY’ SIGNATURES Posts spark accusations of ‘political interference’ JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Government is standing by a Facebook post claiming that people who have signed the peti- tion calling for a referendum on the cruise port can have their signatures withdrawn – even after they have filled out verification forms. The post ran on government’s pro-port so- cial media page alongside an advert saying, “contact the Elections Office and have your say if you would like your name removed from the petition”. Amid accusations of political interference in the verification process, the Ministry of Tourism defended the post this week. “The public has a right to be accurately in- formed about their options regarding the pe- tition, including how they can unverify their name should they wish to do so,” the ministry said in a statement following emailed ques- tions from the Compass. Johann Moxam, one of the campaigners for a referendum, said the posts were “direct examples of political inter- ference and intimidation” and were designed to encourage people to withdraw support for the referendum. He has called on the governor to intervene. In a press release Wednesday, Supervisor of Elections Wes Howell confirmed the Elec- tions Office is accepting requests from peti- tioners to “unverify” their signatures. So far, he said only 2 people had done so. He said in a statement, “During this process, the proportion of persons being able to remove The suspension of Boeing Max 8 jets from Cayman Airways’ operational fleet has led to delays on Cayman Airways flights. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » FIFA President Gianni Infantino PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL®IONAL THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO (PG) 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) (PG13) THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) F&F HOBBS & SHAW (PG13) 12:40 VIP | 1:05 3D | 3:45 VIP | 4:05 | 6:45 VIP | 7:10 3D | 9:35 | 9:50 VIP SPIDER-MAN FAR (PG13) FROM HOME 12:30 3D | 3:45 | 6:50 3D | 9:50 TOY STORY 4 (G) 2:35 | 5:05 A SCORE TO SETTLE (R) 1:50 | 7:35 | 10:05 STUBER (R) 12:15 | 4:30 | 10:15 THE LION KING (2019) (PG) 12:45 | 3:45 3D | 6:30 | 9:15 3D BRING THE SOUL: (PG) THE MOVIE 7:00 WATER WORK PLANNED FOR SHAMROCK ROAD SUNDAY A section of Sham- rock Road will be closed on Sunday while the Water Authority – Cayman car- ries out work. The eastbound lane of Shamrock Road, between the Tomlinson Rounda- bout and Poindexter Road, will be closed from 6am to 2pm to facilitate the planned work. Motorists travelling east will be diverted to the East-West Arterial, with ac- cess to Shamrock Road via Chime Street/Spotts New- lands Road or Hirst Road. Residents who live within the affected area will have local access to the road. Traffic signs will be posted in the general vi- cinity, and motorists are asked to drive with cau- tion to ensure their safety, as well as that of the Water Authority staff. Puerto Rico high court overturns Pierluisi as governor SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the swearing in of Pedro Pierluisi as the island’s governor less than a week ago, clearing the way for Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez to take up the post after weeks of tur- moil. The unanimous ruling said Pierluisi must step aside immediately. The high court’s decision, which cannot be appealed, was expected to unleash a new wave of demonstrations, following on to those that forced the last governor to resign, because many Puerto Ricans have said they do not want Vázquez as governor. “It is concluded that the swearing in as governor by Hon. Pedro R. Pierluisi Ur- rutia, named secretary of state in recess, is unconsti- tutional,” the court said in a brief statement. After the ruling, Vázquez said she would step in as governor despite earlier saying did not want the job. “Puerto Rico needs as- surance and stability. Our actions will be aimed to- ward that end and it will al- ways come first,” she said in a statement. Pierluisi said previously he would respect whatever ruling was made. People began cheering in some parts of San Juan after the ruling was announced, and Puerto Ricans were ex- pected to gather later out- side the governor’s seaside mansion in the capital’s co- lonial district – some to cel- ebrate the court’s decision Former Brazilian president da Silva to be transferred to penitentiary SAO PAULO (AP) – A judge on Wednesday ordered the transfer of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from a lockup in the south of the country to a pen- itentiary for common crimi- nals in Sao Paulo state. Attor- neys of the left-leaning leader said they would challenge the move in court. Judge Paulo Sorci ruled the former president should be transferred from an iso- lated single room in federal police facilities in the city of Curitiba to the Tremembe penitentiary, 95 miles north- east of Sao Paulo. The date of the transfer is yet to be set and it is not clear what kind of cell the 73-year-old da Silva would be put in. Earlier, Judge Carolina Lebbos authorised the move at the request of Brazil’s fed- eral police, who said da Sil- va’s supporters are troubling neighbours of the prison in Curitiba. She had not spec- ified which prison would receive him. Da Silva’s attorneys said they were not consulted about the transfer and said it would be a risk to his security. The Tremembe peniten- tiary is known for holding high-profile prisoners. Sao Paulo state’s prison authority says it has a capacity of 408 inmates. Da Silva’s Workers’ Party said in a statement that the move “is yet another il- legality and gesture of per- secution against Lula, for it arbitrarily denies him the pre- rogative of a former president and former commander-in- chief of the armed forces”. Da Silva has been serving his 12-year sentence for cor- ruption and money laun- dering in Curitiba since 7 April of last year. He denies any wrongdoing and is awaiting a ruling by the country’s top court this month on allegations that the person who sentenced him, former Judge Sérgio Moro, was biased. A court ruling in his favour could free the former leader. Moro is currently justice minister in President Jair Bol- sanaro’s far-right administra- tion and also heads the coun- try’s federal police. The news website The In- tercept Brasil recently pub- lished leaked messages in- volving Moro and prosecutors that it said showed Moro helped them in their case against Da Silva, who gov- erned between 2003 and 2010. Moro has said he cannot confirm the messages were his because he has deleted the app, but said they do not show bias in any case. and others to protest the in- coming governor. In the early afternoon, someone yelled through a loudspeaker near the resi- dence: “Pierluisi out! The constitution of Puerto Rico should be respected!” “It was the correct deci- sion,” said Xiomary Morales, a 21-year-old waitress and student who works a block away, adding that those in power “are used to doing what they want”. Puerto Ricans are phys- ically and emotionally ex- hausted and want an end to the political turmoil, she said: “They should just hold fresh elections, hit restart like a PlayStation game.” But Tita Caraballo, a 65-year-old retired nurse from the inland eastern city of Gurabo, disagreed with the court. “I think they are playing with the people and, I don’t know, maybe they have someone they want and that is why they are doing this,” Caraballo said. Pierluisi was appointed secretary of state by then- Gov. Ricardo Rosselló while legislators were in recess, and only the House approved his nomination. Pierluisi was then sworn in as governor Friday after Rosselló for- mally resigned in response to angry street protests. Puerto Rico’s Senate sued to challenge Pierluisi’s legit- imacy as governor, arguing that its approval was also necessary, and the Supreme Court decided in favour of the Senate. On Monday, the Senate de- cided not to hold a vote al- though the body’s president, Thomas Rivera Schatz, said Pierluisi had only five of 15 required votes. The same day the Supreme court announced it would hear the case. The Senate had also asked the court to declare unconsti- tutional a portion of a 2005 law saying a secretary of state need not be approved by both House and Senate if they have to step in as gov- ernor. Puerto Rico’s consti- tution says a secretary of state has to be approved by both chambers. The court agreed that the clause was unconstitutional. Rivera Schatz praised the ruling in a trium- phant statement. “With absolute LE- GITIMACY, we will seek TRUE PEACE and STA- BILITY,” he said. Six of the court’s nine judges were appointed by governors from the pro-state- hood New Progressive Party, to which both Pierluisi and Rivera Schatz belong. Vázquez, a 59-year-old former prosecutor, stands to be Puerto Rico’s second fe- male governor, serving out the remainder of Rosselló’s term, with the next election scheduled for 2020. It was not clear when she would be sworn in. Vázquez became justice secretary in January 2017 and has limited experience leading government agen- cies. She previously worked as a district attorney for two decades at Puerto Rico’s jus- tice department, handling domestic and sexual abuse cases, and in 2010 was ap- pointed director of the Office for Women’s Rights. Some critics say that as justice secretary she was not aggressive enough in pur- suing corruption investiga- tions involving members of her New Progressive Party, and that she did not priori- tise gender violence cases. William Gónzalez Roman, a 71-year-old retiree also from Gurabo, was not bullish on the idea of Vázquez as governor. “We will see. You have to give everyone a chance, right?” González said. “Let’s see what decisions [she makes], but I tell you that job is big with a lot of responsibility.” Last November, the Of- fice of Government Ethics said it had received a com- plaint about possible ethical violations involving Vázquez, who was accused of inter- vening in a case involving a suspect charged with stealing government property at a home where Vázquez’s daughter lived. Vázquez appeared in court to face charges including two violations of a government ethics law. In December a judge found there was no evi- dence to arrest her. Rosselló’s resignation fol- lowed nearly two weeks of protests amid anger over corruption, mismanagement of funds and a leaked ob- scenity-laced chat in which he and 11 other men in- cluding government officials mocked women, gay people and victims of Hurricane Maria, among others. More than two dozen of- ficials resigned in the wake of the leak, including former Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marín. “NOW is when that de- testable group from the chat that lied, mocked, machi- nated, conspired, violated the law and betrayed Puerto Rico is truly ended and will leave government,” Rivera Schatz, the Senate president, said Wednesday. The appointment of Pedro Pierluisi as Puerto Rico’s governor last week has been declared unconstitutional by the territory’s high court. – PHOTO: AP Da Silva’s attorneys said they were not consulted about the transfer and said it would be a risk to his security.3 LOCAL®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 OfReg loses decision on battle with Datalink VENEZUELA TALKS SLOW AS U.S. UPS PRESSURE ON MADURO BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – For weeks, representatives of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his would-be successor, oppo- sition leader Juan Guaidó, have been shuttling back and forth to Barbados trying to agree on a common path out of the country’s pro- longed political standoff. The meetings have been slow-going and shrouded in mystery, with neither side disclosing details. But now Maduro’s supporters are accusing the US of trying to blow up the fragile process. The purported explosive: sweeping new sanctions that freeze all of the Ma- duro government’s assets in the US and even threaten to punish companies from third countries that keep doing business with his so- cialist administration. “They’re trying to dyna- mite the dialogue,” Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said Tuesday at a news con- ference to denounce com- ments by US National Se- curity Adviser John Bolton defending the asset freeze. “But nobody, not even 1,000 Trumps or 500 Boltons … will make us abandon the negotiating table.” Building on its role as a facilitator of Colombia’s peace process, Norway in May managed to overcome deep distrust arising from past failed attempts at di- alogue and bring the two sides together in Oslo. Talks have since moved to the Caribbean island of Bar- bados, where the fifth round wrapped up last week. Neither side has said much about what is being discussed, although specu- lation has swirled in polit- ical and diplomatic circles that Maduro’s envoys have expressed a willingness to call an early presidential election under a revamped electoral board and foreign observation. The US has in- sisted Maduro must give up power before any elections can be deemed credible. Three people involved in the talks from different sides have described the environment as serious and cordial, with each delega- tion dining and travelling back and forth to the island from Caracas separately. All three insist pro- gress has been made, even if the thorny topic of elec- tions is being left for last and an all-encompassing deal based on a six-point agenda is some way off. MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky Justice Marlene Carter has ruled that the Utility Regula- tion and Competition Office, commonly known as OfReg, failed to follow the law in ruling that Datalink Ltd. could not charge reservation fees for future use of its power poles. The case, filed by Data- link in August 2017, hinged on the argument that OfReg did not issue a draft decision, as required by its own regu- lations, before publishing its final decision on the reserva- tion fee matter. The dispute arose when in- ternet provider C3 complained to OfReg that the fees it had paid to Datalink to reserve space for future fibre optic lines were not equivalent to those paid by other compa- nies, including Flow and Logic. Following an investiga- tion, OfReg officials ruled that Datalink lacked the au- thority to charge such fees and that it should reimburse the three companies for the money they had paid. When Datalink applied for a judicial review of the decision, it complained that it never had the opportu- nity to comment on OfReg’s final decision because the draft of that decision was not published. OfReg officials argued that a consultation it engaged in with Datalink was the same as a draft decision, since the agency had the opportunity to raise questions and argu- ments during that meeting. Bur Justice Carter disagreed. “The question for this court,” she wrote, “is whether the fairness of the consulta- tion was sufficient to absolve the Defendant [OfReg] from having to issue a draft ad- ministrative determination”. OfReg argued that the two components were essentially the same thing. “I am not persuaded by the argument that this approach can provide support for the is- suance of a draft administra- tive determination and an ini- tial consultation as the same document,” Carter wrote. “Accordingly, the decision is quashed and remitted back to the Defendant to comply with the letter of … the law,” she added. Datalink officials said they were pleased with the judge’s finding. “We welcome the decision of the judge,” company sec- retary Claire Stafford said in an email. “We look forward to working proactively and fruitfully with the OfReg in the future. We have no fur- ther comment at this time.” Alee Fa’amoe, OfReg’s acting CEO and executive di- rector of information and communications technology, declined to say if the regulator would continue to seek a pro- hibition on reservation fees. He did say the agency would work to promote competition. “In essence, competi- tion means consumer choice,” Fa’amoe said in an email. “Consumers have choice when they can select from a variety of service providers, but ser- vice providers can only offer their services if they can de- ploy their networks to the con- sumer’s business or residence.” “For years now, the delays and costs associated with pole attachments have been the main obstacle to this ob- jective,” he added. He said the agency would “aggressively pursue a number of options” to ad- dress the issue, but would not specify that eliminating reser- vation fees were one of those. “All options remain open,” he said. The dispute arose when internet provider C3 complained to OfReg that the fees it had paid to Datalink to reserve space for future fibre optic lines were not equivalent to those paid by other companies, including Flow and Logic. Jasmine receives donation from EY Jasmine, formerly known as Cayman HospiceCare, received a US$10,000 do- nation from EY Cayman on Wednesday. Jasmine is a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to providing care to people in the Cayman Islands living with long-term or end-stage conditions. “Jasmine goes above and beyond in providing excep- tional care to the many Cay- manian residents that re- quire their services, and we’re proud to support an organization so dedicated to helping others,” said Keiran Hutchison, EY Partner and Transaction Advisory Ser- vices regional leader. “We’re committed to giving back to our community and Jasmine is an excellent example of a charity helping to improve the quality of life across the Cayman Islands.” Jasmine’s care is free of charge to all Caymanian res- idents. It provides support to people living with debili- tating pain, as well as spe- cialist hospice care to people living with life-limiting ill- ness. The charity provides support for both patients as well as family members, care givers and loved ones. Recently, thanks to the support of many individ- uals and businesses across Cayman, the organisation was able to open its new care and operations facility fitted with rooms for pallia- tive and hospice patients, a common area and peaceful garden space. “We’re incredibly thankful for the generous donation from EY, as it allows us to continue to provide the much needed medical support to our patients and their fami- lies free of charge,” said Fe- licia McLean, Director of Op- erations and Nursing. “What many don’t realize is the wide range of services the organization provides, in- cluding hospice, respite and palliative care, which allows the organization to help even more individuals.” McLean noted that the EY donation would be used to advance the training of fa- cility staff. EY Cayman Partner Keiran Hutchison hands over a donation to Dr. Virginia Hobday, Jasmine Medical Director, centre, and Felicia McLean, Jasmine Director of Operations and Nursing.4 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Compass Media Limited Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@compassmedia.ky Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR CATHERINE MACGILLIVRAY A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Swimmers remove hook from turtle’s neck Video of rescue gets thousands of hits MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky A recent beachfront pad‑ dleboard outing turned into a rescue when John McDow no‑ ticed one of the turtles he and his nephews and niece were observing off of Boggy Sand beach, seemed distressed. “There were other turtles that were swimming around but [one turtle] was just sit‑ ting on the bottom,” said McDow, who is a sales man‑ ager at Kirk’s Home Centre. He noticed that a fishing line was tangled around one of the turtle’s front flipper and there was a large fish hook in its neck. The subsequent mission to remove the hook was posted in a YouTube video and on In‑ stagram earlier this week. The rescue itself took place three weeks ago, McDow said, and lasted about 10 to 15 minutes. Even though extracting the hook was not an easy task, he said the turtle was quite com‑ pliant with the process. “It’s like she wanted us to help,” McDow said. “She came right up to the surface and just swam next to us until we were able to get the hook out.” The injury, he said, ap‑ peared to be recent. “It’s a stainless steel hook, but it doesn’t have any rust,” he said, adding that the flipper didn’t appear to have suffered damage from the line that was wrapped around it. The line was about 7 feet long, he said. McDow said he and his daughter Elena frequently see turtles off the beach. They also volunteer as monitors for nesting turtles through a Department of Environ‑ ment programme. Elena, 7, appears at the be‑ ginning and end of the video, providing an introduction for the action to come and pro‑ moting the safe disposal of fishing line as the clip ends. McDow said his daughter regularly posts videos on Facebook and Instagram as well, and insisted on the ad‑ ditional commentary. At noon on Wednesday, the YouTube video had been viewed 240 times. But McDow said the one Elena posted on her Instagram ac‑ count had been seen more than 4,000 times. This was the first time his nephews and niece had ever seen sea turtles. “They were really ex‑ cited about it,” he said. “They live in Alabama and ever since they’ve been back, they’ve been telling every‑ body about it.” Overall, he said, “It was an awesome experience.” The YouTube posting can be found at https://bit.ly/2MKhDUD. Shell from turtle, likely poached, recovered MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky A shell that came from a green turtle esti‑ mated to weigh from 300 to 400 pounds, was found Sat‑ urday in a dumpster in Mor‑ gan’s Harbour. Officials be‑ lieve the shell likely came from a poached turtle. Department of Envi‑ ronment research officer Janice Blumenthal said po‑ lice received an anony‑ mous call alerting them to the shell, which was more than 3½ feet long. She said the DoE typically docu‑ ments several such acts of poaching each year. In an email, Blumen‑ thal said she could not com‑ ment on whether police had any leads in the case as it is an ongoing investiga‑ tion. The shell is being held for evidence. A study done in 2014‑2015 surveyed 560 people in Cayman about their use of turtle meat. “At least 195 house‑ holds were estimated to have bought illegal wild turtle meat during the 12 months prior to this study,” Blumenthal said. Legal turtle meat is avail‑ able via a retail outlet con‑ nected with the Cayman Is‑ lands Turtle Centre. Efforts are ongoing to mark the pack‑ ages sold by the centre so that consumers and enforce‑ ment officials know whether turtle meat is legal or not. “The intention is for the system to be as easy as pos‑ sible for consumers,” Blu‑ menthal said, “with no need for them to retain receipts to prove the source of turtle meat. Turtle Centre staff members have been working very hard to ensure that the bags are convenient to trans‑ port and store, and that they can be frozen if needed. “Through this meat marking system, we will be able to educate consumers to buy only legal, marked turtle meat (some turtle meat is sold by third‑parties, in‑ cluding door‑to‑door sellers).” she added. “This will re‑ duce the market for illegal, poached turtle meat.” If people suspect they have seen evidence of poaching, Blumenthal said they should contact law enforcement. “Call 911 for crimes in progress,” she said. “Other information can be reported to Crime Stoppers or to the DoE’s chief conservation of‑ ficer at 916‑4271. John McDow shows off the hook he removed from a sea turtle’s neck in this image taken from a YouTube video. In this screen grab from a YouTube video, John McDow works to free a fish hook from the neck of a sea turtle during a recent encounter off Seven Mile Beach. Department of Environment officials measure the size of a turtle shell found in a dumpster in Morgan’s Harbour. It is suspected the animal was a victim of poaching. “ It’s like she wanted us to help. She came right up to the surface and just swam next to us until we were able to get the hook out.” JOHN MCDOW5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 Cayman officials visit agriculture and food show in Jamaica Church group heads to Wisconsin Eighty-seven Cayman young people and youth counsellors will depart for Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on Sunday for an interna- tional ‘Pathfinder Camporee’, joining some 50,000 other Pathfinders from more than 100 countries, according to organisers. The Camporee is held every five years for mem- bers of the Pathfinder Club, a nearly two million-member global organisation aimed at “enlarging … windows on the world and building a re- lationship with God”, organ- isers said, adding that the camp experience has become “a leadership and spiritual rite-of-passage for youth and adults”. To prepare for the five- day international camp in Oshkosh, the Adventist 2019 Youth Congress held a three-day programme on 26-28 July at the Lions Centre, which featured a 30-member visiting choir. The weekend culminated in a gospel concert on Sunday, 28 July. Choir member Chueyen McIntyre said that he had opted to be one of the 30 members to visit Cayman from the 80-strong choir based at the Kencot Seventh- day Adventist Church in Ja- maica because “It is part of our role as Christian youth to help other youth.” “The idea of youth- reaching-youth led to the in- vitation to the Kencot Youth Choir to lend their support to Pastor Henry Vaughan, Youth Ministries Director for the Cayman Islands Conference,” said choir director Dianne Boyd in a press release. The choir sang throughout the three-day Youth Con- gress, organised by the local Adventist Youth Federation, in an initiative themed ‘Life in Transformation’. During the congress, the Youth Federation launched the ‘Adopt-a-Ministry’ pro- gramme, in which youth or- ganisations in the various local churches committed to adopting a street or commu- nity for youth engagement. Youth Minister Vaughan said that he envisaged that these activities would in- clude health clinics, health fairs, and door-to-door con- tacts, among other possible undertakings. In addition to exer- cising their voices in choir appearances and the con- cert over the weekend, on their final day, Monday, 29 July, choir members vol- unteered for a work day at Cayman Academy where they helped to prepare the campus for the new school year by painting, cleaning and gardening. A delegation from the Cayman Islands picked up some tips and got a firsthand look at Jamaica’s agriculture industry this week. Premier Alden McLaughlin, Agriculture Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly and Speaker of the House McK- eeva Bush were among the officials visiting the 67th Denbigh Agricultural, Indus- trial and Food Show in Clar- endon, Jamaica. The three- day show, hosted by the Jamaica Agricultural Society on 4-6 Aug. is the largest of its kind in the English- speaking Caribbean. “Jamaica has one of the most diversified and strongest agriculture sec- tors in the Caribbean, par- ticularly with respect to live- stock,” Premier McLaughlin said in a press release. “This visit gives us an opportu- nity to observe firsthand and learn from Jamaica’s technical expertise in agri- culture. I also look forward to continuing the conver- sation with the Prime Min- ister during his visit a few weeks ago with regard to in- creasing trade between our two countries. “This is important as we continue to not only expand our own locally grown ag- riculture products, but also seek other sources to help di- versify Cayman’s access to food supplies.” While in Jamaica, in ad- dition to attending Denbigh, McLaughlin and O’Connor- Connolly will meet with Ja- maican Prime Minister An- drew Holness and other government ministers on a variety of topics, including trade and border security, the release stated. Also on the trip were staff and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Min- istry of International Trade, Ministry of Commerce, De- partment of Agriculture and the Cayman Islands Agricul- tural Society. The delegation looked at Jamaican farming systems such as plant hydro- ponics and livestock farming, and how the country’s agri- culture practice and farming activities meet international environmental and food safety standards. “It is important to note that our agriculture sector is perpetually evolving,” O’Connor-Connolly said in the release. “We must con- tinue to be active and in- tentional in our strategies towards implementing agri- cultural best practices, and understanding how it plays a crucial role in the life of our economic system. “Directly exposing our very own subject-area ex- perts to the various systems and programmes, whether strategic, traditional or tech- nological in nature, allows for us to make tangible ad- vancements, ultimately to- wards making the lives of our people better. The [Cayman Islands Agricultural Society] can model the dynamic sig- nature activations to further enhance our own local Agri- culture Shows and DoA staff can gain firsthand experi- ences of systems that can be scaled for our topography and of course, climatic chal- lenges. We must plan for a better tomorrow, today.” “ This visit gives us an opportunity to observe firsthand and learn from Jamaica’s technical expertise in agriculture.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN To prepare for the five-day international camp in Oshkosh, the Adventist 2019 Youth Congress held a three-day programme on 26-28 July at the Lions Centre, which featured a 30-member visiting choir. The Kencot Youth Choir from Jamaica take to the stage at the Lions Centre. Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, centre, with staff of the Department of Agriculture and Ministry of Agriculture, along with members of the Cayman Islands Agriculture Society and their tour guide at the Abbey Garden Farm. Premier Alden McLaughlin meets Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness prior to the opening the ceremony of the ‘Prime Minister’s Day’.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or non-profit organisations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Road or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, 8 AUG. TECH TALK: Join Digital Cayman and Cayman Tech City at South West Collective for a round table discussion about building a tech community. Admission is free. Doors open at 6pm, and the discussion starts at 6:30pm. FRIDAY, 9 AUG. PLANNING SESSION RSVP: Anyone wishing to attend an information session that will be hosted by the Department of Planning at 9:30-11:30am on Sept. 5 is required to confirm attendance by today. The aim of the session is to provide information and guidance on the planning process to people in the development community so as to reduce delays in the application submission process. Topics covered will include planning application submission process, planning application review process, permit application submission process, permit application review process, submitting re-reviews and modification of approved plans, releasing permits and certificate of occupancy process. Email info@planning.gov.ky to confirm attendance. Information on the location of the event will be provided upon confirmation of the number of participants. SATURDAY, 10 AUG. MOVIE NIGHT: The Stake Bay Baptist Church in Cayman Brac presents a Free Family Movie Night featuring the film ‘Breakthrough’ at 6:30pm at the Aston Rutty Centre. SUNDAY, 11 AUG. ENVIROWALK: The rescheduled EnviroWalk Environmental 5K Walk/Run, sponsored by Miss World Cayman Islands, F45 and Flowers Bottled Water, will be held at 7am at SafeHaven. The previous planned event was postponed due to the weather. All are invited. Bring your water bottle, hats, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. The entry fee is $25 for adults and $12 for those 12 and under. TUESDAY, 13 AUG. ROTARY MEET AND GREET: Rotary Club of Cayman Brac presents a Meet and Greet Social at Cayman Brac Beach Resort, 7-9pm. THURSDAY, 15 AUG. HUMANE SOCIETY QUIZ: The monthly trivia fundraiser for the Cayman Islands Humane Society will be held at Fidel Murphy’s tonight, beginning at 7pm. Ann Ghezzi will be hosting. $10 per person. Call 949-5189 to book a table. LITTLE CAYMAN LICENSING: The Little Cayman Vehicle Licensing visit occurs today, 9am to 2:30pm in the District Office. SATURDAY, 17 AUG. CHARITY TRUNK SALE: All registration fees will go to benefit the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. The sale will be held at the parking lot of the CIBC FirstCaribbean Main Street branch. 6-10am. Sellers should arrive by 5:30am and be set up no later than 6am. Vendor entry fee is $25. The deadline to register a space is 2pm, Friday, 16 Aug. Call 815-2405 or 815-2407 or email shadden. mclaughlin@cibcfcib.com or joy.anglin@cibcfcib.com to reserve a space. SUMMER FAMILY FUN DAY: The National Gallery is hosting a Summer Fun Family Day today from 10am to 1pm. Free family fun art activities based on the exhibition ‘Tropical Visions’. Art activities will be available for children of all ages and self-guided activity booklets can be collected at reception for families to use as they explore. Admission is free and open to all ages. TUESDAY, 20 AUG. SEAFARERS MEETING: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association will hold a general meeting today at 7:30pm in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. For transportation, three buses will depart West Bay Town Hall at 6pm; the Barnes Bus route in George Town will leave the public library parking area at 6:45pm, stopping at the Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s; Bobo $1 public transport bus, blue in colour, will pick up from British Caymanian, Uncle Bill’s, Walkers Road, Shedden Road and Crewe Road; the bus from East End will pick up at the school parking lot, gas station and Wreck of the Ten Sails, starting at 5:45pm; North Side pick-ups will be at Chisholm’s Store and the soccer field, starting at 6:15pm; Bodden Town pick-ups at Lorna’s gas Station at 6:45pm; Savannah pick-ups at gas station at 7pm. FRIDAY, 23 AUG. SENIORS TOUR AND TEA PARTY: The National Gallery and EY welcome seniors for a morning of art and conversation. Beginning with a tour of the exhibition ‘Tropical Visions: Landscape Painting from the National Collection’ with a chance to share stories and memories inspired by the artwork. This will be followed by tea service with refreshments and pastries in the Gallery gardens. Admission is free thanks to sponsorship by EY Cayman. RSVP by calling 945-8111 or emailing receptionvolunteer@ nationalgallery.org.ky by 19 Aug. Transportation assistance can be arranged if requested. SATURDAY, 24 AUG. FISH FRY/FISHING TOURNAMENT: The Spot Bay Committee presents the Last Fish Fry and Fishing Tournament for summer today at Cayman Brac. Call 925-3924 for more information. GENERAL INTEREST YMCA SUMMER CAMPS: Camps will take place from 2 July to 23 Aug. across three locations – Field of Dreams, Camana Bay Sports Complex and the Youth Centre at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church in Savannah. For more information, visit www.ymcacayman.ky. On-site registration is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm at the Field of Dreams. The Day Camp team can also be reached at ysummercamp@ ymcacayman.ky. To find out about financial assistance, which is available for families in need, email info@ymcacayman.ky. COUNSELLING SERVICES: The Family Resource Centre and the Counselling Centre have moved. They are now with the Department of Counselling Services at their new home on Mary Street, at 87 West Apollo House. Hours are Mondays and Fridays from 9am to 1pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 7pm, and Wednesdays 9am to 4pm. SQUASH CLUB: The Cayman Islands Squash Club hosts a social evening for women on the last Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm, and holds squash beginner lessons for adults every Monday at 7pm. For more information, email info@squash.ky. PIRATES WEEK VENDORS: Food and craft vendors interested in participating in the upcoming Pirates Week Festival can reserve stalls. Food Festival dates are 8, 9 and 11 Nov. A valid DEH Food Handling Certificate must accompany completed application forms. All food vendors must use biodegradable containers and utensils (available from Pirates Week Festival office – limited supply). Space is limited, please register early. Download the application form at www.piratesweekfestival.com/ participate. To learn more call 949-5078 or info@piratesweekfestival.com. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Local farmers sell their produce and farmed goods at Camana Bay on Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm in Heliconia Court (located next to Scotiabank). COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8pm, West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11pm. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socialising with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space and a beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9am till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10am till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 pp for ceramics. $15/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. ART AT THE STRAND: Every Saturday, from 3pm to sunset, the Visual Arts Society hosts a local art market featuring artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand- crafted jewellery and ceramics for sale in front of the Lodge/Eco-Den, who is offering 2-4-1 drinks, pub food and homemade treats, smoothies, and speciality coffees/teas. For more information or to become a displaying artist, email info@visualartcayman.com. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rent every day of the week, including Saturdays. THRIFT SHOP: Cayman Islands Humane Society Thrift Shop. Located in Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The Thrift shop is open Tuesday – Saturday 9am to 2pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday. The phone number is 945-5596 THRIFT SHOP: One Dog at a Time’s New To U shop is now located at JJT Warehouses, Row 2, Unit 2 on Industrial Way. Open Saturdays 8am to 5pm and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm at 68 Mary Street. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4pm; Tues-Fri 9:30am to 4pm; Sat 9:30am to 4:30pm. Volunteers are needed for front desk a few hours per week. For more information, email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, cards, etc., in good condition needed. CLUBS, ORGANISATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centred 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15pm. Contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30pm at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15pm on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Contact George R. Ebanks at 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The rescheduled EnviroWalk Environmental 5K Walk/Run, sponsored by Miss World Cayman Islands, F45 and Flowers Bottled Water, will be held at 7am on Sunday, 11 Aug. at SafeHaven.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 A separate tech- nical issue affected an- other aircraft on Monday, causing extended flight delays. The airline said the issue was resolved by Tuesday evening. The airline added that customers were assisted through email updates via TripCase, the Cayman Air- ways call centre, and staff at the affected airports. In the future, the airline hopes to notify of delays through text messaging. Cayman Airways Pres- ident and CEO Fabian Whorms apologised for the problems. “Every day, we trans- port up to two thousand international passengers, and the grounding of our two new 737 Max 8 air- craft has complicated our ability to do that con- sistently to the high ser- vice standard that we are known for,” Whorms said in a press statement. “We are grateful for all customer feedback re- ceived, and are diligently working on improving the customer experience during such irregular operations.” Passengers affected by delays were encouraged to email customercare@caymanairways.net. their names from the list of verified petitioners has been widely debated, as has the va- lidity of doing so. Some public discussion is also ongoing about the appropriateness of additional signatures being collected and submitted while verification is in progress. “The total number of per- sons who have declined to be verified stands at 89, and 2 persons have requested for their previously verified sig- natures to be ‘un-verified’. “In an effort to be fair and reasonable, the Elections Of- fice will continue to receive and record the wishes of per- sons who want to be ‘un-ver- ified’, while the CPR is able to continue to collect and submit additional petition signatures,” he added, He said the Elections Of- fice will continue to main- tain a record of all originally submitted petition signatures and will make an indication of which signatures have been verified and which have chosen to do otherwise. Moxam accused govern- ment of meddling in the ver- ification process by encour- aging people to withdraw their signatures. In an open letter to Gov- ernor Martyn Roper and to the Elections Office, hesaid government was actively en- couraging people to withdraw support for the referendum in what he described as a po- litical campaign. He said the governor had committed to ensure that the verification process was carried out fairly and without interference and should step in at this point. “Please confirm if a state- ment will be publicly issued and the actions being taken by the Governor’s Office to address my concerns and if possible sanction the elected government for their ac- tions,” he wrote. “Their political interfer- ence and intimidation tactics reflect poorly on your ability to [ensure] that principles of good governance exist and thrive in the Cayman Islands.” Emails to the Governor’s Office were not returned by press time Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Tourism, which runs the Support our Tourism social media page, said in a statement that the post was “100 percent factual.” She said the post was simply pro- viding accurate information to the public. The Elections Office has previously said that people who had signed the petition were entitled to decline to fill out verification forms. But government’s post goes further, indicating that people who signed the petition and went on to fill out verification forms confirming their signa- ture could still opt to withdraw. It stated, “Callers to var- ious talk shows throughout this week have said they’re reassured by the answers from government and would like to remove their name from the petition. If you feel the same way you can still re- move your name, even if your signature has been verified.” Linda Clark, of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, said there had never been any previous reference in discus- sion with the Elections Office or with the governor to any mechanism for people to re- tract their verification forms. She said the petition simply called for a refer- endum on the issue and if an- yone had changed their mind about supporting the port on the basis of government’s presentations, they could vote whichever way they wanted in the referendum. The ministry statement said the Elections Office was contacted before the publi- cation of the post and had confirmed it was “100 per- cent correct.” It said that similar infor- mation had been given on the radio phone-in show. “There is absolutely no in- timidation or interference sug- gested by the post,” it stated. “The post does not direct people to remove their names nor does it instruct or ask an- yone to so. It is merely pro- viding the public with factual information in response to questions raised by members of the public about how they can remove their names from the petition.” At last count, the Elec- tions Office had verified 80.4% of the 5,292 signatures needed to trigger a refer- endum on the port. Whittaker in March. The in- ternational delegation will only be in Cayman for a matter of hours. Whittaker said Wednesday they will arrive in the morning and will be on a plane off island in the early afternoon. “We’re ready to go back to full funding,” he said Wednesday. “They have all of the outstanding items. They’re coming for a final view, and it will be an honour to have the pres- ident here.” The delegation will not stay for the conclusion of the Caribbean Football Un- ion’s Girls’ Under-14 Chal- lenge Series at Truman Bodden Sports Complex, but Whittaker said there will be a special guest. Governor Martyn Roper is expected to attend Cay- man’s game against St. Lucia on Friday. Moxam accused government of meddling in the verification process by encouraging people to withdraw their signatures. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gov’t claims port petitioners can ‘unverify’ signatures Reduced fleet leads to Cayman Airways delays CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 FIFA president to visit Cayman on Friday Colorado cannabis comes to Cayman KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky Colorado has joined the ranks of cannabis producers now sup- plying products to the Cayman Islands. Denver-based United Cannabis Corporation an- nounced Tuesday that it has begun distributing its Prana Hemp extracts in the islands. As hemp- based products, these ex- tracts do not contain THC, the principal psychoac- tive compound found in cannabis. Instead, the extracts contain cannabidiol, or CBD, a component empha- sised in medical cannabis products for issues such as pain, nausea and anxiety. “Demand for can- nabis and hemp-derived products continues to grow within the Cayman population, as well as the surrounding Car- ibbean islands,” said United Cannabis CEO Earnest Blackmon in a press statement. “Since the regulatory in- frastructure doesn’t pres- ently allow for domestic production, we recognized a real opportunity for United Cannabis to offer our Prana Hemp products to patients in this market.” While medical can- nabis oils and tinctures are legal for consumption in Cayman with a prescrip- tion, local production is not permitted. All legal med- ical cannabis products in the Cayman Islands must be imported with the ap- proval of the Health Ser- vices Authority. Colorado joins Cana- dian and Jamaican pro- ducers in supplying Cayman with medical can- nabis oils and tinctures, approved by government in November 2016. The Colorado com- pany will initially supply Cayman with hemp products produced in the United States, but Blackmon said he expected to shift production for Cayman consumers to its facility in Jamaica. US stages huge immigration raids, arrest 680 MORTON, Miss. (AP) – US im- migration officials raided nu- merous Mississippi food pro- cessing plants Wednesday, arresting 680 mostly Latino workers in what marked the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. The raids, planned months ago, happened just hours be- fore President Donald Trump was scheduled to visit El Paso, Texas, the majority-La- tino city where a man linked to an online screed about a “Hispanic invasion” was charged in a shooting that left 22 people dead in the border city. Workers filled three buses – two for men and one for women – at a Koch Foods Inc. plant in tiny Morton, 40 miles east of Jackson. They were taken to a military hangar to be processed for immigration violations. About 70 family, friends and residents waved goodbye and shouted, “Let them go! Let them go!” Later, two more buses arrived. A tearful 13-year-old boy whose parents are from Gua- temala waved goodbye to his mother, a Koch worker, as he stood beside his father. Some employees tried to flee on foot but were captured in the parking lot. Workers who were con- firmed to have legal status were allowed to leave the plant after having their trunks searched. “It was a sad situation inside,” said Domingo Can- delaria, a legal resident and Koch worker who said au- thorities checked employees’ identification documents. The company did not im- mediately respond to an emailed request for comment. About 600 agents fanned out across the plants in- volving several compa- nies, surrounding the pe- rimeters to prevent workers from fleeing. They occurred in small towns near Jackson with a workforce made up largely of Latino immigrants, including Bay Springs, Carthage, Canton, Morton, Pelahatchie and Sebastapol. Matthew Albence, US Im- migration and Customs En- forcement’s acting director, told The Associated Press that the raids could be the largest such operation thus far in any single state. Asked to comment on the fact that the raid was hap- pening on the same day as Trump’s El Paso visit, Al- bence responded, “This is a long-term operation that’s been going on. Our enforce- ment operations are being done on a racially neutral basis. Investigations are based on evidence.” The sting was another demonstration of Trump’s signature domestic priority to crack down on illegal im- migration. While planned months ago, it coincided with the day that Trump was to visit El Paso to offer his con- dolences to the majority-La- tino city after a gunman linked with an anti-His- panic post online fatally shot 22 people on Saturday. Such large shows of force were common under Presi- dent George W. Bush, most notably at a kosher meat- packing plant in tiny Post- ville, Iowa, in 2008. President Barack Obama avoided them, limiting his workplace immi- gration efforts to low-profile audits that were done out- side of public view. Trump resumed work- place raids, but the months of preparation and hefty re- sources they require make them rare. Last year, the ad- ministration hit a land- scaping company near Toledo, Ohio, and a meat- packing plant in eastern Ten- nessee. The former owner of the Tennessee plant was sentenced to 18 months in prison last month. Two people are taken into custody Wednesday at a food processing plant in Morton, Mississippi. – PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Germany seizes 1.5 tons of cocaine Customs officials in Hamburg announced Wednesday they have found 1.5 tons (1.65 US tons) of cocaine on a container ship that arrived from Brazil. The office estimated the haul’s street value at about 350 million euros (US$392 million). Kabul suicide blast kills 14, injures 145 China warns Hong Kong facing biggest crisis since handover HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong is facing its “most se- vere situation” since its hand- over from British rule in 1997 following weeks of demon- strations and the central gov- ernment is considering what measures to take next, the head of Beijing’s Cabinet of- fice responsible for the terri- tory said Wednesday. Zhang Xiaoming was speaking to Hong Kong resi- dents attending a seminar in the mainland city of Shen- zhen just across the border from the Asian financial hub that has been wracked by daily protests against the ad- ministration of Chief Execu- tive Carrie Lam. Those protests are get- ting increasingly violent and having “an increasingly broad impact on society”, Zhang told the 500 attendees, who included members of the Hong Kong and central gov- ernment legislative and advi- sory bodies. “It can be said that Hong Kong is facing the most severe situation it has faced since the handover,” Zhang said. Officials in Beijing were “highly concerned” and stud- ying the situation to decide on measures to take, he said. Hong Kong was returned to China under the frame- work of “one country, two systems”, which promised the city political, civil and eco- nomic freedoms not allowed under Communist Party rule on the mainland. However, many Hong Kong residents feel Beijing has been increasingly en- croaching on their freedoms. The protests were set off by proposed extradition legis- lation that if passed would have allowed some suspects to be sent to China, where critics say they could face possible torture and un- fair trials. China so far has not vis- ibly intervened in the situa- tion, though in editorials and statements from officials it has condemned demonstra- tors and protest organisers as criminals, clowns and “vi- olent radicals” and alleged that they have been inflamed by politicians from the US, Taiwan and elsewhere. Speculation that the mil- itary could be deployed grew after Chinese officials pointed to an article in Hong Kong law that allows troops already stationed in the city to help with “public order maintenance” at the Hong Kong government’s request. Hong Kong authorities have said they do not antic- ipate any need to bring in troops or police from China to help impose order. Ob- servers say Beijing will likely try to wait the protesters out, hoping rising violence and inconvenience will turn the tide of public opinion against them. Lam reappeared Wednesday at the opening of an exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Com- munist state. “Over recent months, con- ditions in Hong Kong so- ciety have been extremely unstable,” Lam said in re- marks distributed by her of- fice. “The special administra- tive region government will certainly join with all of you to deal with it calmly, re- store social order, safeguard rule of law and cherish Hong Kong, cherish ‘one country, two systems,’ and cherish our home.” Pro-democracy law- makers continued to criti- cise Lam’s handling of the protests. Claudia Mo told reporters that Beijing and Lam were employing a two- pronged strategy of using the police force to handle the protesters physically while also attacking them ideologi- cally by labelling their move- ment as seeking to destroy the “one country, two sys- tems” framework. “We all know this (Hong Kong) administration has be- come completely untrust- worthy and this is just so sad for Hong Kong,” Mo said. With Hong Kong’s crucial travel industry suffering as tourists put off their visits, Australia became the latest country to issue a travel safety warning to its citizens. Australians should “ex- ercise a high degree of cau- tion”, in Hong Kong, the no- tice said. It said there was a risk of violent confronta- tion between protesters and police, or “criminally linked individuals”, and visitors should avoid large gather- ings, especially at night and on weekends. Ireland, Britain, and Japan have already issued Hong Kong travel warnings. Protesters have come from all professions and age groups. On Wednesday, several hundred lawyers sought a meeting with Secre- tary of Justice Teresa Cheng and staged a silent pro- test. The authorities have re- fused to open a dialogue with protesters and there was no immediate response from Cheng’s office. Margaret Ng, a lawyer and a former lawmaker, said they wanted to meet Cheng and the director of public prosecution to seek an as- surance that there was no political motive in prose- cution of those detained in the protests. More than 500 people have been arrested since the protests began in June and dozens have already been charged with rioting, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. “One of the most impor- tant things about the rule of law is prosecution must not be abused because if abused, it is the most powerful in- strument of oppression,” Ng said. She and other lawyers urged protesters to avoid violence that could harm their cause. Lawyer Dennis Kwok said government warnings of stern measures against pro- testers will merely flame the people’s anger. He called for an independent investigation into the actions of police and protesters. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A Taliban car bomb aimed at Afghan security forces ripped through a busy Kabul neigh- bourhood on Wednesday, killing 14 people and wounding 145 – most of them women, children and other ci- vilians – shortly after the ex- tremist group and the United States reported progress on negotiating an end to Afghan- istan’s nearly 18-year war. The bombing during morning rush hour was one of the worst attacks in Kabul this year, and it again raised fears among Afghans about what will happen once the estimated 20,000 US and NATO troops in their country go home. The explosives-packed car detonated at a security check- point outside police head- quarters in a minority Shiite neighbourhood in western Kabul, police spokesman Fir- daus Faramarz said. The Tal- iban said they had targeted a recruitment centre for secu- rity forces. Ninety-two of the wounded were civilians, Deputy Interior Minister Khoshal Sadat told reporters. Four police officers were among those killed, he said. The attack took place as many Kabul residents were preparing for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which begins Sunday. A large plume of smoke rose over the city. Some nearby buildings were left in rubble. Shopkeepers later swept up broken glass. “I was having breakfast in a restaurant when the explosion happened,” said Mohmmad Qasem. As win- dows shattered, he and others rushed into the busy street. Even as the US-Taliban peace talks continue and the Taliban say they will do more to protect civilians, a growing number of them are being killed. July saw the highest number of civilian casualties in a single month since 2017, with more than 1,500 killed or wounded as insurgent at- tacks spiked, the United Na- tions said earlier this month. Any Taliban attack is a barrier to the peace process, presidential spokesman Sediq Seddiqi told reporters, vowing that “Afghan security forces are strong and can protect the Afghan population.” President Ashraf Ghani’s government said such at- tacks apparently are meant to strengthen the Taliban po- sition at the negotiating table but would not succeed. On Tuesday the Taliban warned Afghans to boycott the 28 Sept. presidential elec- tion and avoid campaign ral- lies which “could become potential targets”. The vote already has been delayed for months over security and or- ganizational concerns. The Taliban have been staging near-daily attacks against Afghan forces across the country, saying the war will continue as long as US and NATO forces are still in Afghanistan. The Taliban now control roughly half of the country and are at their strongest since 2001, when the US-led invasion toppled their gov- ernment after it harboured al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Another round of US-Tal- iban talks continues this week in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where the insurgents maintain an office. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to Amer- ica’s longest war, this week reported “excellent progress” in the talks. A Taliban official said differences had been re- solved over the withdrawal of US troops from Afghani- stan and Taliban guarantees that they will cut ties with other extremist groups. The US wants to make sure that Afghanistan will not become a launching pad for attacks against it. Khalilzad has said he is hoping for a final agreement by 1 Sept. But major chal- lenges remain as the Tal- iban refuse to negotiate with the Kabul government, dis- missing it as a US puppet. More civilian casu- alties were reported on Wednesday in the western city of Herat, where a sticky bomb wounded at least eight people, including women and children, said Abdul Ahid Walizada, spokesman for the provincial police chief. Another threat in Afghan- istan is the local Islamic State group affiliate, which also has carried out several large-scale attacks in Kabul, frequently targeting mi- nority Shiites. On Wednesday, security of- ficials said an overnight raid in eastern Kabul targeted three locations in residential areas from which the IS group has been launching attacks. Three members of the secu- rity forces and two of the ex- tremists were killed, the offi- cials said, and bomb-making materials were seized. And in northern Baghlan province, a suicide bomber in a Humvee tried to at- tack an Afghan base but was killed by security forces, said Jawed Basharat, spokesman for the provincial police chief. The attack took place as many Kabul residents were preparing for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which begins Sunday. Protesters have come from all professions and age groups. On Wednesday, several hundred lawyers sought a meeting with Secretary of Justice Teresa Cheng and staged a silent protest. An Afghan security officer stops a man near the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2019 Redrawn map may set off more change in Indian-ruled Kashmir UK food industry looks to avoid shortages in no-deal Brexit RESIDENTS LET BACK INTO HOMES BELOW DAMAGED UK DAM BRITISH AIRWAYS COMPUTER PROBLEM STRANDS 20,000 LONDON (AP) – The UK food industry is asking the gov- ernment to set aside com- petition rules so companies can coordinate supply deci- sions to combat shortages in the event Britain leaves the European Union without an agreement on future trade relations. The Food and Drink Fed- eration said Wednesday it has asked the government to direct the Competition and Markets Authority to relax rules that prevent such co- ordination. It has not yet re- ceived a response. Britain’s decision to delay Brexit until 31 Oct. from the original date in March is likely to make it more diffi- cult for supermarkets to keep shelves filled because normal stockpiling for the Christmas season means there is less warehouse space available in the autumn, the group said. “If the government wants the food supply chain to work together to tackle likely shortages – to decide where to prioritise shipments – they will have to provide cast-iron written reassurances that competition law will not be strictly applied to those dis- cussions,” Tim Rycroft, the federation’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “Without such assurances, any such collaboration would risk incurring large fines from the CMA.” Christopher Haskins, a former chairman of Northern Foods, one of the country’s largest suppliers of package foods, said panic buying is possible. “We could be in a sort of wartime situation of a limited amount of food rationing,” he told the BBC. “Those who can remember the war, that took a long time to put into place and it was pretty haphazard and pretty unfair. LONDON (AP) – Residents evacuated from a town below a damaged reservoir in England almost a week ago were told Wednesday they could go home, after emergency crews said a dam was no longer at risk of collapsing. More than 1,500 people were ordered to leave Whaley Bridge last Thursday after the 180-year-old Toddbrook Reservoir’s dam was dam- aged in heavy rain, threat- ening to inundate the town. The evacuation order was lifted after firefighters spent days pumping much of the water from the reser- voir, and a Royal Air Force helicopter dropped bags of sand and gravel to plug a hole in the dam’s spillway. “The danger posed by the millions of tons of water, which would have destroyed homes and liveli- hoods, could not be under- estimated,” Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann of Derbyshire Police said. Residents of the town 175 miles northwest of London were told to leave Thursday with pets and es- sential medicines, and were unsure when they would be able to return. Many stayed with friends and family, while some were put up in hotels in nearby towns. Engineers now plan to assess what is needed to repair the reservoir and keep people safe. LONDON (AP) – British Air- ways cancelled more than 100 flights to and from London airports on Wednesday after its check-in systems were hit by computer problems. The airline said a “sys- tems issue” was causing de- lays and cancellations for short-haul flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports. British Airways said it was relying on backup and manual systems. It cancelled 117 flights due to operate to or from Heathrow and 10 Gatwick flights, stranding about 20,000 passengers. More than 300 other flights were delayed. “A number of flights con- tinue to operate but we are advising customers to check ba.com for the latest flight information before coming to the airport,” the airline said in a statement. BA said short-haul passen- gers due to travel Wednesday could re-book for another day. At Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, passengers waited in snaking lines for information. “There were massive queues,” said Darren Rowe, whose flight to Hamburg, Germany, was cancelled. “It was queue here, queue there. Nobody was saying any- thing. The lack of information was just pathetic.” The incident is the latest bout of tech trouble to hit the airline. In May 2017, tens of thousands of passengers were stranded when a global computer failure grounded hundreds of British Air- ways flights over three days. BA passengers were also hit with severe delays in July and September 2016 because of problems with the airline’s online check-in systems. NEW DELHI (AP) – India is redrawing its polit- ical map again. Parliament has approved a proposal by the Hindu na- tionalist-led government that strips statehood from Jammu and Kashmir, its only Muslim-majority state, split- ting the region into two union territories after revoking its special rights under India’s Constitution. Although India has re- drawn its map many times since gaining independence from the British in 1947, the decision is likely to raise ten- sions in the already-vola- tile Himalayan region. India and Pakistan both claim the territory in full and admin- ister portions of it. India’s ac- tion will further entrench the idea of Hindu-majority rule espoused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The legislation was intro- duced alongside a presiden- tial order that takes from the region and its people some political autonomy and hered- itary rights by revoking Article 370 of India’s Constitution. The changes will also lift a ban on property purchases by nonresidents of Kashmir, opening the way for Indians outside the territory to invest and settle there. The local Muslim population has long feared such measures would change Kashmir’s demog- raphy, culture and way of life. An indefinite security lockdown has kept most of the region’s 7 million people in their homes and in the dark about the changes. Erasing the autonomy of the region will inflame the sentiments of most Kash- miris who demand that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. Two of the three wars India and Pa- kistan have found since inde- pendence were over Kashmir. More than half a million Indian soldiers are stationed in Kashmir to counter a rebel- lion that seeks to secede from India, and there are near-daily demonstrations against In- dian control. About 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing crackdown since 1989. The legislation intro- duced by Home Minister Amit Shah downgrades Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a union territory with an elected legislature. It also carves out the region of Ladakh as a separate union territory, ruled directly by the central government without a legislature of its own. The bill has been ap- plauded by India’s Hindu nationalist parties, which have been seeking to fully integrate Kashmir since the country’s partition into India and Pakistan in 1947. The Modi government’s ideolog- ical mentor, the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organisation, praised the decision, describing it as “brave” and “necessary” for the national interest. Critics have already lik- ened Kashmir’s proposed new arrangement to the West Bank or Tibet, with settlers – armed or civilian – living in guarded compounds among disenfranchised locals. Human rights activists and residents of the troubled state have long feared such a move could destabilise the re- gion and plunge it into chaos by redrawing sectarian lines. Still, the main worry for many is that the central gov- ernment’s actions will set in motion a plan to crush the identity of the people of Kashmir. Indian census data puts the total population of the Indian-controlled part of Jammu and Kashmir at 12.5 million, about 68% Muslim, 28% Hindu and just under 1% Buddhist. Within the state, Kashmir is about 94% Muslim while Jammu is about 63% Hindu and 33% Muslim. The remote mountainous Ladakh region has a popu- lation of just 274,289 people, with 46% Muslim and about 40% Buddhist. The immediate implica- tions are that Kashmir will lose its flag, criminal code and constitution. Turning Kashmir into a union territory means the central government will gain much more control over the area’s affairs, including its courts. Electoral constituen- cies will be reorganised using 2011 census figures. This could further inflame the re- gion if more power is shifted to Jammu, where Modi and his Hindu-nationalist party enjoy strong support. “ We could be in a sort of wartime situation of a limited amount of food rationing.” CHRISTOPHER HASKINS, former chairman of Northern Foods A masked Kashmiri protester jumps on an Indian police armoured vehicle as he throw stones at it during a 31 May 2019 protest in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. – PHOTO: AP Road closed signs are removed in Whaley Bridge, England, Wednesday as residents evacuated from the town below a damaged reservoir in England are allowed return to their homes. – PHOTO: APNext >