Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet backs Spanish as official second language

Antigua and Barbuda is preparing to designate Spanish as its official second language through a fresh government policy built to widen multilingual schooling and reinforce links across the region and beyond, the Cabinet said in a release.

The decision emerged from the Prime Minister’s weekly Cabinet session, led by Gaston Browne, where ministers signed off on a wide-ranging language and integration plan that will treat Spanish as a central subject within the national education framework.

Under the new approach, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has been directed to reshape teaching programmes from pre-school through primary and secondary levels so that Spanish is woven more consistently into students’ years of study.

Authorities said the step mirrors Antigua and Barbuda’s deepening relations with Spanish-speaking states and the push to give young people linguistic tools suited to education, diplomacy, tourism, trade, and jobs.

“The Government believes that strengthening Spanish language competency among citizens and residents will improve communication, regional integration, tourism, trade and workforce competitiveness, while enhancing Antigua and Barbuda’s capacity to engage more effectively with Spanish-speaking countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean,” the statement said.

The policy document also points to enduring cultural and social bonds with the Dominican Republic, including the role of the Dominican community in the country’s development and stronger everyday ties between the two nations.

In parallel with the language changes, Cabinet endorsed the Dominican Republic Integration Programme (DRIP), aimed at broadening economic, cultural, and institutional partnership between Antigua and Barbuda and the Dominican Republic.

The programme is slated to ease trade and investment, bolster cooperation in tourism and education, and offer more organised backing for Dominican residents on the islands.

Another pillar calls for a Spanish Desk inside the Office of the Prime Minister to act as a focused channel for Spanish-speaking residents who need government services or help.

Cabinet said the desk should sharpen outreach and community inclusion while easing how public bodies work with Spanish-speaking groups.

Officials framed the overall shift as one strand of a larger drive toward inclusion, regional partnership, and national progress in a Caribbean and world growing more tightly linked.