Stories about Caribbean from January, 2013
Hotel Development near the Pitons Raises Concerns in St. Lucia
A planned hotel development near the Pitons in Saint Lucia has fueled more debate about the way to balance development with cultural and environmental concerns. The proposed “eco-luxury” development is “Freedom Bay”, which plans to include a five-star hotel in addition to private residences.
Trinidad & Tobago: Proper Procurement Practice
In part one of a two-part series on governance and integrity in Tobago, Afra Raymond examines the Tobago House of Assembly project.
Cuba: Internet Change Coming?
If you took a poll in our streets about Cubans’ most serious problems, the youngest…would list…lack of access to the Internet. They want to dive into that sea of kilobytes! Translating Cuba explains that “this situation of disconnect could be about to change…the great World Wide Web may be closer...
Guyana: Literary Controversy
Writer Ruel Johnson has expressed concern at what he considers to be possible case of nepotism at Caribbean Press, a publishing company owned by the government of Guyana: When I saw the recent launch of young Ashley Anthony’s book Mysterious Association and the Virtu Gems [sic] I declined to publicly point out the...
Jamaica: Hitting the Paywall
I hear Swartz and others who maintain that information can and must be free. But to simply equate academic articles with useful information is misleading…these are issues we need to have more nuanced discussions about. Active Voice blogs about the late Aaron Swartz, JSTOR and academic paywalls…
Tobago's Election Results Send Message: Hit the Road, Jack!
Tobago's election results have come in and bloggers don't seem surprised. The incumbent, Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London, won by a landslide, while the main challenger, Ashworth Jack, representing the Tobago Organisation of the People, which has links to the country's current administration, failed to win even one seat.
Haiti: Like a Phoenix from the Ashes?
Haiti Grassroots Watch examines the pros and cons of the Phoenix Project – a “massive public-private business deal [involving] a factory that would transform garbage from the capitol into electricity, a resource so rare in Haiti, only 30 percent of the population has access.”
Guyana: Minimum Wage and Inflation
The welfare of the working poor who have seen their purchasing power steadily eroded in the past ten years, or what one must consider, after reviewing the facts, as phantom concerns over inflation? Or is there something more than money involved? Guyana Mosquito responds to Ralph Ramkarran's argument that increasing the minimum...
Guyana: Modern Architecture and the State of The Nation
Now why would the toga wearing Vitruvius have anything relevant to say about modern day Guyana architecture …until one considers the proliferation in this far away land of Roman columns. Guyana Mosquito thinks the trends in modern Guyanese architecture are indicative of the state of the country.
Cuban Filmmakers Take Over Digital Technologies
In Cuba, filmmakers and new directors have started to take over new technologies to keep down the costs of production of audiovisual effects, and to tell stories that would otherwise not have seen the light of day.
Twitter Suspends Cuban Encyclopedia Ecured's Account
Twitter has suspended the account of the Cuban Collaborative Encyclopedia Cubana EcuRed according to an announcement posted on the official blog of the their website.
Belize, St. Vincent: Garifuna Culture
…the Garifuna language, which integrates Arawak and Carib, and which was declared a ‘masterpiece of the oral intangible heritage of humanity’ by UNESCO in 2001, is severely threatened. It possesses forms and structures used exclusively by males, and is the only survivor of the island languages descended from Arawakan. In...
“Silly Season” with Tobago's Elections
Tobago will be holding its Tobago House of Assembly elections on Monday, January 21 - and though these are not national elections, it is still an important vote, as the result will determine who will steer the semi-autonomous body which governs several key functions of what Trinidadians refer to as “the sister isle”. One political blogger examines the issues...
Haiti: Water & Cholera
Was there a simultaneous sabotage of Haiti's municipal water systems while the country was grappling with cholera? kiskeácity links to the details.
No Exit Visa: The Cuban Diaspora Speaks
After much anticipation, it has finally happened. The Cuban government has done away with the need for an exit visa - essentially state permission - to leave the country. Bloggers have been sharing their thoughts on this new development.
Cuba Implements Long-Awaited Migration Reform
The implementation of the long-awaited migration reform on January 14 could put an end to the terrible human drama which the decision to stay or leave Cuba used to entail. Bloggers in Cuba comment on the historical reform.
Jamaica: Handing Over “Calabash”
The world can and will run without you. Get over yourselves. Active Voice salutes Colin Channer, the founder of Jamaica's Calabash Literary Festival, whose “exemplary resignation” she thinks “ought to set a precedent in how to love something and yet be able to move on and allow others to continue...
Mobile Libraries Help Haitians Overcome Major Earthquake
Mobile libraries are helping Haitians overcome the devastating 2010 earthquake, providing intellectual resources, entertainment and assisting in essential matters such as health. By March 2013, the organisation Libraries Without Borders intends to launch another two mobile libraries to circulate through the most affected neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Recognition is growing about the value of reading in places suffering from conflicts and natural disasters.
Jamaica: Debt Storm Coming?
The Jamaican blogosphere has been a bit prickly ever since the Chicago Tribune, in an editorial on January 8, 2013, compared Jamaica’s financial condition to that of Greece, considered by some to be the most precariously perched country in the global economy.
Richard Blanco: America's First Latino Inaugural Poet
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, requested his inaugural poem from Richard Blanco, son of Cuban immigrants and the first Latino, Spanish speaker, and gay man to receive this honor.
Jamaica, Grenada: Master Sculptor Passes On
The National Gallery of Jamaica Blog acknowledges the passing of master sculptor Fitzroy “Fitz” Harrack.
About our Caribbean coverage
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
