· June, 2013

Stories about Caribbean from June, 2013

The Strange Case of Puerto Rico and the Death Penalty

  29 June 2013

During the 5th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, recently held in Madrid, Spain, participants assembled to discuss the status of Puerto Rico, where the death penalty, though abolished in 1929, could still be imposed thanks to its relationship with the United States. Periodismo Ciudadano's Elisa Moreno Gil interviews Puerto Rican attorneys and activists to learn about the island's special situation.

The Bahamas: Intellectual Property & Reparations

  26 June 2013

The amount of traditional knowledge that is stolen from our region on a daily basis is staggering. Blogworld suggests that there is a link between that knowledge and required compensation for “the slaves and their ancestors [who] have never been paid for the generations of their labour.”

Jamaica: Working for Women?

  26 June 2013

Jamaica Woman Tongue takes a closer look at an antiquated law that restricts women working at night. “It looks like progress,” she says, “but there’s definitely a downside to freeing up women for night work. It’s not all about emancipation.

Trinidad & Tobago: Tourists Charged

  24 June 2013

This is a country where tourism is a big portion of the nation’s income, yet tourists are clearly not valued, even just enough to answer a simple question. tzen project blogs about her family's travel nightmare in Trinidad and Tobago.

Haiti: Model Camp Morphed into Slum

  21 June 2013

Three years after its star-studded launch, the model camp for Haiti’s 2010 earthquake victims has helped give birth to what might become the country’s most expansive – and most expensive – slum. Haiti Grassroots Watch explains.

Bermuda: A Milestone for Human Rights

  19 June 2013

‘It’s kind of absurd to me that we’re even having this discussion. The God I serve says we are to love one another.’ Breezeblog comments on Bermuda's “pass[ing] [of] the amendment to the Human Rights Act making it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation.”

Belize: Conservation Limits?

  19 June 2013

Belize is facing a difficult balancing act when it comes to determining the limits of environmental and cultural conservation. Kevin Edmonds at nacla blog explains.

Trinidad & Tobago: New Media & Tourism

  18 June 2013

We are destined to fail at our tourism efforts because the stakeholders, decision makers and governmental associations have no understanding of the new media landscape. Travel blogger Rishi Sankar takes the Trinidad and Tobago tourism body to task for its “lack of recognition of social media’s impact on tourism.”

Caribbean: Is Somebody Watching?

  18 June 2013

The ongoing saga with U.S. Internet surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden has captured the attention of the world. In two blog posts, one from Trinidad and Tobago and the other from Cuba, there is an interesting juxtaposition between high-tech spying and old-fashioned intelligence, even though they both pit the citizens against the state.

Cuba: Another Brick in the Wall?

  18 June 2013

The whole process is managed and legitimated by a whole army of high-level psychologists and pedagogues in the name of the common Good. Erasmo Calzadilla blogs at Havana Times about the state of education in Cuba: “Till recently, school and repression were for me synonymous.”

A Puerto Rican Musician Follows His Muse to Instagram

  16 June 2013

Fernando Samalot is, among other things, a gifted musician from Puerto Rico's independent music scene, known for his participation in the experimental group tachdé. Through his Instagram profile, Fernando began exploring his passion for photography while sharing the results -a collection of genuinely inspiring photos, filled with adventure, spirituality, and plenty of heart- with the rest of the world.

New York Times Profiles Global Voices Cuba Contributor

  13 June 2013

According to the New York Times’ The Lede blog, Global Voices Cuba contributor Elaine Díaz “may be the most important Cuban dissident you’ve never heard of.” Elaine, currently on a visit to the US, is profiled in a June 11 post titled “Cuban Blogger Who Reveres Castro Pushes for Reform”.

René Pérez of Calle 13 Writes Song with Julian Assange

  12 June 2013

Puerto Rican hip hop star René Pérez (@Calle13Oficial) of the band Calle 13 announced today [es] through Twitter that he is with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where Assange was given refuge after being accused of a sexual crime in Sweden. Pérez will be live on...

Jamaica: Children as Artists

  11 June 2013

The National Gallery of Jamaica Blog is excited about an upcoming exhibition of children's art, which will highlight “the children’s unique responses to questions about their curiosities and the diverse urges of their developing imaginations.”

Puerto Rico: “Freedom for Oscar López Rivera, Now!”

  11 June 2013

More and more people have united in the campaign for the release of Oscar López Rivera, the longest-serving political prisoner in Latin America. Politicians of all ideologies in Puerto Rico, writers, artists, and members of the international community, have come together to ask for his freedom after being imprisoned in the United States during 32 years.

About our Caribbean coverage

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