Stories about Caribbean from February, 2016
Body-Policing and Identity Politics Bog Down Trinidad Gymnasts’ Olympic Dreams
"So many countries celebrate an athlete's body. In my country, a female athlete could be shamed and disciplined for showing hers."
Jamaica Peacefully Chooses a New Government. Young Activists Take a Bow
Close to 35,000 voters joined the electoral list for the first time. Could the youth vote -- and online activism -- have been the deciding factors in Jamaica's general election?
Animator Chronicles His Family's Experience Emigrating With the Caribbean's ‘Windrush Generation’
"While many of the Windrush Generation experienced similar circumstances arriving in Britain, not much is actually documented. Animation can help to bridge generational gaps when the story is relevant."
Prize-Winning Novelist's Facebook ‘Joke About White Guys’ Is Gone—and Back—in Less Than 24 Hours
Facebook's notorious "Community Standards" strike again. The victim in question: popular Jamaican novelist Marlon James.
Violence Escalates on Eve of Elections in Jamaica
In the aftermath of a typically turbulent campaign season, polls have predicted a tight race and low voter turnout in tomorrow's elections in Jamaica.
What Masqueraders’ Selfie-Snapping Says About Trinidad & Tobago Carnival
"I noticed a proliferation of masqueraders — in the melee on stage, in the stands and on the sides — on their phones. I thought, wow, this could be interesting."
Jamaica Struggles Towards Election Day, Without Political Debates
"D is for debates. We might as well take that word out of our vocabulary [...] Jamaica does not have a culture of mature political discussion."
A House in the Hills Raises Temperatures in Jamaica's Election Campaign
With elections scheduled to take place in about a week, the two main political parties bicker over a national debate while the electorate -- and Jamaica's democracy -- suffer.
It's Finally Official: Port of Spain's Mayor Resigns Over His Victim-Blaming Remarks
"Some of these old dogmatic doctrines of […] rural Trinidad and, and the Trinidadian society of the 50s and the 60s are no longer relevant in a modern world."
Remember When the Mayor of Port of Spain Promised to Resign for Victim-Shaming a Murdered Woman? He Doesn’t.
Port of Spain's mayor promised to step down after blaming a woman's murder on her choice to wear a bikini. Then he un-promised, refusing to leave office.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Violence Has Been ‘Normal Normal’ For Way Too Long
In Trinidad and Tobago people have come—at their peril—to accept that violence is a part of life. But maybe it's time to push back against this idea?
‘An Unapologetic Independent Thinker': A Conversation With St. Lucian Poet Vladimir Lucien
"Caribbean literature nowadays is very much a mixed bag [...] I think it is several Caribbeans that we are seeing."
Citizens Protest Against Trinidad Mayor's ‘Vulgar’ Victim-Blaming Statements
"Clothing does not cause violence. Dark streets do not cause violence. Walking alone at night does not cause violence."
Haiti's Electoral Crisis and Unsteady Future
Haiti's legislative elections took place last August. Months later, the country has been left with no president, an interim government and a mandate for new elections by April 24, 2016.
‘Citizens Everywhere Must Recognize That Their Countries’ Natural Resources Belong to Them’
A Caribbean representative has been elected to the International Board of the EITI for the first time. Global Voices talks with Victor Hart about patrimony, innovation and fighting corruption.
An LGBT Blog Is Suspended Over Mention of Cuba’s 1960s-Era Labor Camps
"I honestly hoped it was a technical glitch...I don't know how this 'defames the Revolution,' as the judgment issued to us says."
Local Trinidad & Tobago Mayor Sparks Outrage After Victim-Blaming in Masquerader's Death
Did the mayor of Port of Spain just imply that women's behaviour was inextricably linked to their safety? That's how the majority of netizens heard it -- and they're angry.
Incidents of Violence Spoil Trinidad & Tobago's Carnival
Violence by band security and the discovery of a dead masquerader have put a dark cloud over Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2016.
Broken Is the Road of Political Promises in Trinidad & Tobago
An opening ceremony for a children's hospital that was never actually opened to the public. Public funds used despite a government-to-government arrangement. A collapsed access road. What next?
A Dying Swan Resurrects Faith in the Creativity of Trinidad & Tobago Carnival
"No one else understands how to combine the mechanical principles and characters of the mas into a new work that says something about the world and our corner of it."
Amid Political Posturing and Dancehall Vibes, Jamaica Finally Announces Election Date
"Jamaica is in need of a leader who is truly interested in laying aside partisan politics...What I witnessed in the video is hyped up bravado and noise..."
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