Stories about Caribbean from July, 2014
Why July 25 Is a Tragic Date in Puerto Rican History
Constitution Day is celebrated on July 25, but it is also the date of the U.S. invasion in 1898 and the murder of two young pro-independence activists.
These ‘Poets With a Cause’ Are Defending Social Justice in Crisis-Hit Puerto Rico
"Poetas en Marcha is Felipe the janitor, Sofia the overworked and underpaid secretary, the young adults laughing while having a beer after their final exams, the noble lady selling fruit."
Massive Amounts Paid Out in Trinidad & Tobago's LifeSport Programme
As more details come out about the corrupt LifeSport programme in Trinidad and Tobago, Wired868 focuses its satirical energies on Adolphus Daniell, a contractor who was reportedly paid TT$34 million (just under US$5.5 million) for doing nothing – and says he won't pay back the money: The people now under...
Why Some Caribbean Authors Are Accusing a Trinidad-Born Novelist of Being a ‘Latter Day Columbus’
After a U.K.-based writer wrote a blog post exploring modern Caribbean writers, some authors accused her of ignorance about the region's literary history.
What Owen Arthur's Resignation Says About Barbados’ Politics
Owen Arthur has resigned from the political party he led for 14 years – a move which Barbados Underground thinks should give Barbadians pause: The incapacity of a former Prime Minister…to carve out an effective role to serve his political party in the twilight of his career leaves a sour...
Being A Black West Indian in Britain
Jamaican author Kei Miller's blog post about “the anxieties of being a black poet in Britain” draws from several personal experiences, leading him to the conclusion that “the act of writing certain black experiences has to be one of translation – as surely as we translate from one language into...
Trinidad & Tobago Minister Passes the Buck with Failed LifeSport Programme
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister has shut down the controversial Life Sport programme following the results of an audit, which uncovered the ministry's inability to account for millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money. The programme was originally intended to provide disenfranchised youth with options to a life a crime through...
Cuba's Customs Clamps Down in “Illegal Imports”
On September 1, 2014 the Customs Service of the Republic of Cuba will begin enforcing new regulations intended to combat illegal trafficking of merchandise by relatives, friends and ‘mules’ (a slang term for couriers of goods from overseas through airports and port facilities). Iván's File Cabinet considers this “one more...
The Hypocrisy of Outrage Against LGBT Rights in Jamaica
An off-colour comment by a Jamaican sports commentator who “dampened the moment of post World Cup celebrations with his shouts of ‘Heil Hitler’ on national television” leads author and blogger Kei Miller to pen a letter to the editor illustrating why his countrymen are living a double standard – outraged...
Wanted to Watch Saint Lucia's Carnival on TV This Year? You Were Out of Luck
"How regressive! Did the organisers consider Saint Lucians in the diaspora, those in other countries and foreigners who might be interested in being part of Saint Lucia Carnival...?"
As Trinidad & Tobago's Military Hunts Down a Killer, Some Wonder Who's ‘Guarding the Guards’
Trinidad and Tobago's military is accused of flouting the law in the search for a soldier's killer. This isn't the first time authorities there have policed at any price.
A Documentary That Allows Transgender People's Voices to Be Heard
Though gays and lesbians are gradually gaining more acceptance in Puerto Rico, the same cannot be said yet of transgender people. That is why a film like Mala Mala, a documentary in which trans people speak freely about their stories, is so important. The film, directed by Dan Sickles (@dan_sickles) and...
Trinidad & Tobago: Does Living in the Digital Age Forfeit Your Right to Privacy?
ICT Pulse reviews a recently published report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the right to privacy in the digital age.
Improper Land Allocation Harms Trinidad & Tobago's Public Interest
Property ownership is a critical ingredient of the society we are trying to build. No one can deny that. The wealthiest people and companies in this society have made a great part of their wealth through property dealings – buying, leasing, sub-dividing, selling, renovating and so on….property is critical to...
Archaic Laws Continue Jamaica's History of Injustice
The anti-sodomy law is not the only archaic statute up for repeal in Jamaica. Author Kei Miller is astounded that a proposal to rescind the country's “blatantly racist Obeah Laws” has met with resistance: We seem to like throwing fits whenever it is suggested that we review and correct our...
Are Black Americans More Aware of Race Than Black Caribbeans?
Blogger Aidan Neal argues that black Americans are "so grossly affected by racism that they almost lay-wait offensive behavior," while race isn't a common topic of discussion in the Caribbean.
Why the Caribbean Should Care About Net Neutrality
For those who figure that the issue of net neutrality doesn't affect them, Trinidad-based blogger Activized connects the dots. The concept that “all data is created equal” is not as common as you might think: Local telecommunications company Digicel announced that they were banning certain VoIP application services from their...
Jamaica's Anti-Gay Protesters Don't Want to Be Called Homophobic
Groups protesting a possible repeal of a colonial-era anti-sodomy law have tried to distance themselves from being labeled "homophobic." Caribbean bloggers insist on calling a spade a spade.
These Cubans Are Puckering Up in Support of LGBT Rights
The second kissing sit-in, or "besada" in Spanish, protested the New Cuban Labor Code, which excludes gender identity as a motive for workplace discrimination.
A Summer Reading List from Global Voices French-Language Contributors
Need some summer reading material? Here's a reading list of mostly Francophone authors recommended by the GV community.
Oscar López Rivera Has Spent 33 Years Behind Bars in the US. Puerto Ricans Say That's 33 Too Many
Oscar López Rivera's imprisonment has received attention in recent weeks in various media outlets and at the United Nations from people who support his release.
About our Caribbean coverage
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
