Stories about Caribbean from January, 2021
Pandemic soca: How COVID-19 is shaping the sound of Trinidad & Tobago's cancelled Carnival
There may be no physical Carnival celebrations this year, but Trinbagonian soca artists are still churning out songs, many of them around the theme of COVID-19.
Landmark ruling opens the way for environmental transparency in Trinidad and Tobago
Communities celebrate judgement that supports full access to the findings of Environmental Impact Assessments.
UK strain of COVID-19 arrives in Trinidad & Tobago
The variant was detected via genome sequencing testing being done by the University of the West Indies.
Caribbean denounces Trump’s decision to put Cuba back on terrorism list; hopes for a reversal with Biden
Some expect the Biden/Harris administration to re-establish a working relationship with the island; other Cuban commentators find that unlikely. Either way, CARICOM wants Cuba taken off the US' terrorism list.
Guyanese-American author celebrates Caribbean identity in new alphabet book
'I noticed how scarce and inaccessible Black children's literature was, compared to other fictional children's books.'
Caribbean calls for global summit to address fair COVID-19 vaccine roll-out
CARICOM is 'deeply concerned at the current prospect of inequitable access to vaccines,' noting that smaller countries would inevitably find it difficult to compete.
The Caribbean Community stands with Guyana in Venezuela border dispute
In a virtual meeting on January 12, Caribbean leaders put their support behind Guyana, the CARICOM member state in which energy company ExxonMobil began oil exploration in 2008.
Venezuela refuels its territorial dispute with Guyana in area with massive offshore oil find
In the wake of ExxonMobil's discovery of massive energy reserves in Guyana, a centuries-old border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana heats up.
The pandemic killed Trinidad & Tobago's 2021 Carnival, but soca music keeps the spirit alive
"Soca Music is an experience, nothing can beat the feeling you get when [...] you hear that one song that hits you with a wave of emotion."
‘This is the USA?’ The Caribbean reacts to the Capitol protests
As thousands of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, Caribbean netizens couldn't help but notice the term 'shithole country' had now been turned on its head.
‘Caribbean super salesman,’ Jamaican tourism mogul ‘Butch’ Stewart, dies at 79
Jamaican hotelier Gordon “Butch” Stewart, the self-made businessman who perfected the all-inclusive tourism model for which the Caribbean has become famous, died at a Miami hospital.
About our Caribbean coverage
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
