CARICOM Summit in St. Lucia: The 51st CARICOM Heads of Government meeting wrapped with a push on cost of living relief, consumer protection, and faster regional expansion, including progress on an affordable interregional ferry to cut transport and trade costs. Cuba Humanitarian Aid: CARICOM’s humanitarian package for Cuba has finally been cleared after repeated banking rejections tied to sanctions hurdles, with leaders also offering to bridge talks between Washington and Havana. St. Lucia’s CARICOM Chair Focus: Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre took over the CARICOM chairmanship, framing the agenda around people-first delivery—food security, climate resilience, and practical integration. Agriculture & Food Security Boost: CARDI showcased research aimed at higher yields for crops like sweet potato, cassava and dasheen, while regional efforts also target reducing food import bills. ECCB Monetary Update: ECCB Governor Timothy N.J. Antoine will present the ECCU monetary, credit and financial conditions report, alongside “Big Push Agenda” priorities including energy resilience and trade logistics. CBI Under Pressure: EU notices to phase out Citizenship by Investment by 2028 are driving fresh warnings across the OECS, with St. Lucia flagged as meaningfully reliant on CBI revenue. Local Industry Note: St. Lucia is ramping community education and partnerships to reduce Fer-de-Lance snakebite incidents. Regional Business Opportunity: OECS extended the Window 2 deadline for MSME matching grants for Blue Economy value chain groups to July 24.