Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne successfully brokered a truce between two rival gangs, 2Drilly and Grays Farm Killers, during a televised meeting on Thursday. Surrounded by masked gang members, some as young as 14, Browne acknowledged the need for earlier intervention and referenced his past efforts in dismantling the Red Shirt gang.
As part of the peace agreement, Browne introduced initiatives aimed at rehabilitating gang members, including the Youth Education & Empowerment Programme (YEEP) and the Harrison Centre. These programs offer opportunities for education, trades, and employment, but participation is contingent on an end to violence.
Browne also announced harsher penalties for gun crimes, with maximum sentences increasing from 10 to 25 years and minimums from 2 to 5 years. Measures to curb juvenile delinquency include fines for loitering and a 10 pm to 6 am curfew for those under 18.
In a gesture of peace, the gangs will participate in a football match at The Turf. Browne expressed hope for the truce but recognized the challenges ahead, stating, “I am not under any illusion that we can solve the gang problem overnight,” but believes the warfare will end.
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We have to believe that these young men and women will become productive members of society.
the thing is…. Gang members don’t own supermarkets or gas stations…….they weren’t robbing and terrorizing each other
yet still people crutise this man I believe hes the best prime minister ever in no country u ever see a prime minister has the power to bring two gang members together for peace these boys jus need work some grow up in damage homes I h9pe they get the help they need an work an I hope they see there’s much more to life than crime an violence I am a Jamaican an I wish my country could do this like MR Gaston Brown I wish the peace could reign in my country so every time I visit I dnt have to walk an sleep in fear ,🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
what utter nonsense. the PM trying to say he singlehandedly has reduced the crime wave is simply fantasy. Until the government makes real reforms which provide decent wages and jobs for Antigans the crime will continue. The PM would be better off donating some of his millions to providing social services than grandstanding about gang meetings
Rival gangs, my behind.
These young people are just reveling in the spotlight they have been thrown into. They are not interested in going to school to learn any skills. Put them there and a small percentage would stay.
Everyone is afraid that they will get so accustomed to being the publicity stars that the prime minister has made them and they might not want to come off the stage when it’s all over.
He has created a whole set of monsters.
They tried the same in El Salvadpr Decades ago..For years they keep trying to reinsert gangs to society with universities, social programs, millions of dollars was burn in that and gangs increased more and more, but they prefer the easy way of making money..
You can earn Money in 3 ways..Heritage, stealing or Working hard…There isn’t special formula..This guys just get a green card from the Government to keep committing crimes and get away…
Bukele from El Salvador show to the world how to deal with Crime..How to clean a country from a deep criminality..El Salvador had one of the biggests criminal organizations in the World “Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and “Calle 18” over 100k Members and in 2 years Bukele hunter them and send to jail a huge percentage of his members..He took over the c9ntrol of the country..So there is a solution..No other way is possible.
Think about it. As was said the main reason these youths joined gangs is because of the no love and care at home issues and for protection. Will they now begin to receive this love and care from their parents and where will this well needed protection now comes from? We still have a whole lot a Badman and want a be out there that may now see you as a target, so all this truce and coming together in brotherhood after all the evils you may have committed seems kind a unrealistic.
As I watched the Olympics and witnessed these young kids winning gold medals in Skateboarding and BMX etc I kept wondering why isn’t there an Olympic style Skate park built so that some of these same youths can be creative and find another way to enjoy life? I know most of them used skates and ride bikes and all it takes is an outlet, practice and discipline. A mean if they (rest of the world) can do it, I want to believe some little youngster here is saying I can do that, so why not give them the outlet? we also now have Olympic break dancing! are we not capable and skillful enough to accomplish these past times if given the resources?
STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE CONVERSATION SHIFTED FROM BRAZEN DAYLIGHT ROBBERIES TO GANGS WHEN THE GANGS RIVALRY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ALL THE BRAZEN ROBBERIES.
It’s either the PM thinks people are stupid, and the people proved him right or he is covering up all the BRAZEN ROBBERIES that took place in the last six months.
Melchesidec
I wish I could shake your hand…..
I have been saying the same thing 2 weeks now..
How the hell it left from the Jamaican boy the police killed after he robbed the shop in pharam.
Or
The 2 Jamaican they arrested with guns and mask in the car.
How it leave from that guy who is wanted in Jamaica for murder, to school children gangs….
And you know the strange thing he even have all the news media now focused on gangs
Meanwhile the people who are terrorizing business owner, home owners ECT are still roaming free..
This man is an idiot..how the hell we even got at all this gang talk?
I didn’t even know we had a gang issue in Antigua until two weeks ago when the little girl got killed.
Here is this PM trying to bamboozle the public again with his self centered grand standing.
There are no damn gangs in Antigua, just stop it.
What we have are a bunch of illegal immigrants coming to Antigua, penetrating our boarders to commit their crimes, because the Government of Antigua is soft on crime, and this is a perfect example of their softness, legitimizing these little kids, making them out to be gang members.
Best Prime Minister how?
You mean best Con Artist.
Bloody joke
And on the same note. so listen up you young so-called gang members.
You are playing a game that’s way out your league.
This prime minister is as dirty as they get, so when you get shot down in the the streets by his dirty cops he has on his side, the way they shot down Manny and dump him in the back of a pickup, don’t come back and say I didn’t tell y’all so.
This PM will turn on you,so don’t sit there and get duped into thinking he’s on your side..the same way he turn on the COVID protesters who got teargas, and some were even taken to jail for protesting their God given rights.
So be warned, because you’re getting played by this crafty Con Artist. When they find some of you dead in alleys, remember you took the bait and acknowledged to this trickster PM that you were indeed gang members when you showed up to his meeting.
Your best course of action is to go back to school, or try to get a job and stay off the streets, because your playing a game that’s way out your league.
Remember this corrupt man you’re making deals with, has all the power on his side, so you don’t stand a chance when his goon squad comes hunting y’all down.
So don’t be fooled..I actually want y’ all to live some long peaceful lives.
Okay!!!
Antigua ppl can’t read nor spell so nothing wrong, don’t expect them to see shit but shit everyday. Ppl forget we r the Government and not them