· October, 2012

Stories about Caribbean from October, 2012

Saint Lucia: Jounen Kwéyòl Festivities (Creole Day)

  31 October 2012

On Sunday, Saint Lucia celebrated its annual Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day). The day of activities were the culmination of Creole Heritage Month. On Jounen Kwéyòl, selected communities host a fair where the Creole culture is celebrated through dress, music and most of all, food.

Puerto Rico: Prejudice Between the Lines

  30 October 2012

Félix Jiménez denounces in a short note in the digital magazine 80grados the prejudice that is revealed between the lines in the sports sections of the country's main newspapers when covering Orlando Cruz, the Puerto Rican boxer that recently came out as openly gay. Jiménez says: To review articles supposedly supporting Cruz is...

Puerto Rico: The Unwritten Rule of the Puerto Rican Press

  30 October 2012

Luisa García Pelatti talks [es] in her blog Sin comillas (Without Quotation Marks) about the alleged illegal use of government funds by the newspaper El Vocero [es] (The Spokesman) that was denounced by the newspaper El Nuevo Día [es] (The New Day). García, a former employee of El Vocero, said the following: What El Nuevo Día published...

Caribbean: Hurricane Sandy's Wake

  28 October 2012

As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the east coast of the United States, bloggers in the Caribbean who have already experienced the storm share their experiences.

Puerto Rico: Another Way to Look Up

  28 October 2012

Puerto Rican street artist and photographer Enrique Arce, known as Aslan, has been posting photographs of airplanes on his Instagram account for over six months now as part of his "#parriba" (upwards) series. Global Voices author Alfredo Richner presents his favorite #parriba airplane photographs.

Jamaica, Cuba: Handling Hurricane Sandy

  25 October 2012

Tropical Storm Sandy, which had been on a direct course towards the Greater Antilles over the past few days, got upgraded to Category 1 hurricane status shortly before it made landfall in Jamaica. It then struck Cuba and is now headed for the Bahamas.

Cuba: Four Years Jailtime for Angel Carromero

  24 October 2012

The Cuban Triangle reports that Angel Carromero, the Spanish Popular Party leader has been sentenced to four years in prison for vehicular manslaughter in the deaths of Cuban human rights advocates Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero. Carromero was at the wheel when the vehicle, carrying Paya, Cepero, and Swedish national...

Cuba: Cell Phone Use on the Rise

  24 October 2012

Puertasabiertas [es] reports that thousands of Cubans are purchasing cell phone service for the first time because of a new plan offered by Cuba's cell phone company, Cubacel, that began offering a new low rate for users last week. Cubacel centers in Havana and Santiago de Cuba have been reportedly...

Grenada: Remembering a Revolution

  24 October 2012

October 19 marked the 29th anniversary of the bloody military coup in Grenada which ousted leader Maurice Bishop from government and prompted the United States-led invasion of the country. Two bloggers marked the occasion with detailed posts about what happened and how it forever changed the course of Grenada's history.

Guyana: Upcoming Chris Brown Concert Upsets Anti-Violence Advocates

  23 October 2012

When news broke that Barbadian-born singer Rihanna's then-boyfriend Chris Brown had allegedly assaulted her, Caribbean bloggers were outraged. Talk of an upcoming Chris Brown concert in Georgetown has bloggers speaking out about the dangerous message it sends about gender violence.

Puerto Rico: Journalism Called Into Question

  22 October 2012

Former President of the Association of Puerto Rican Journalists (ASPPRO), Wilda Rodríguez, wrote a scathing column [es] on the current state of journalism in Puerto Rico for local blog 80grados.net. In it, she asks for what she refers to as “simply the basics”: journalism that is informed, honest, and sensible,...

Caribbean: Blog Action Day 2012

  21 October 2012

Since its founding in 2007, Blog Action Day has united bloggers from all over the world by having them devote space to a specific topic or theme. Caribbean bloggers weigh in on this year's theme "The Power of We".

Bermuda: Election Thoughts

  18 October 2012

Catch a fire blogs about Bermuda's elections – and offers a few predictions – while Respice Finem calls the right to vote “a right, not a privilege.”

Haiti: Yéle Haiti Facing Allegations of Financial Impropriety

  16 October 2012

Various allegations of financial impropriety have been directed at musician and activist Wyclef Jean's charity Yéle Haiti. The allegations are centered on the millions that the defunct charitable organization received in donations after the Janury 2010 earthquake period that devastated the island.

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Janine Mendes-Franco
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.