Stories about Caribbean from August, 2021
Eccentric reggae pioneer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry dies at 85
"Jamaica has lost the rhythm and soul of a prolific music icon who has inspired many. Perry was one of the most important creative figures to come out of Jamaica."
How a Haitian bakery is using the breadfruit tree to foster resilience after the earthquake
"A single breadfruit tree [can] produce enough fruit to feed an entire family, and can live up to 80-100 years, providing entrepreneurs in Haiti with professional opportunities for years to come."
After weeks of hesitancy and soaring COVID numbers, Jamaicans crowd vaccination centres
With the presence of the Delta variant confirmed, soaring rates of new COVID-19 infections, and the availability of the Pfizer vaccine, Jamaicans finally seem ready to get over vaccine hesitancy.
After Dutch Literary Prize winner says Suriname ‘needed’ former president Bouterse, organisers cancel her award ceremony
In 2019, Dési Bouterse, who first came to power in a coup, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was convicted for the execution 15 dissidents in 1982.
No one to trust? Misinformation about COVID-19 and elections increase in Latin America and the Caribbean
A shortage of credible information about critical issues, including the fight against COVID-19, sits in contrast to the abundance of disinformation and misinformation that has submerged the region.
Déjà vu as bauxite company pollutes an iconic Jamaican river, yet again
"The repeated nature of these offences suggests a lack of respect for Jamaica’s environmental laws and regulations and the human rights of those who have been negatively affected."
Eleven years after its last devastating earthquake, an even stronger one hits Haiti
Not only was this earthquake more intense than 2010's, it was also closer to the surface, and was followed by several substantial aftershocks, prompting a tsunami alert in the region.
Alleged cutting of Rastafarian girl’s locks by police leaves Jamaicans wondering if they are truly emancipated
Rastafarians have been historically mistreated in Jamaica, and the forcible cutting of the young woman's hair has brought up unresolved issues.
Prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines injured in protests over move to make vaccines ‘mandatory’
Protesters said the proposed amendments would infringe on people's rights, and accused the government of failing to engage in dialogue around the issue.
Camacho-Quinn's historic Olympic win sparks discussion on Puerto Rican identity
"Did you know that our first and only Olympic gold medals have been won by two women?"
The first woman dub poet, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, dies at her rural Jamaican home
Reflective of Jamaica’s storytelling tradition, her work involved repeated chanting in a narrative style.
Social media outcry halts ‘revitalisation’ plans for Trinidad park, but approach to public consultation remains a challenge
"Since TT is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, CCSJ calls for sustainable, responsible, environmentally responsible revitalisation of our city."
Floods take parts of Trinidad by storm
While the Met office warned that “August is likely to be wetter than usual,” no one quite expected the degree of flooding that took place.
“One, Two, Three!” Jamaicans thrilled by their women sprinters’ Olympic run
The race ended with Elaine Thompson-Herah breaking American sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner's 1988 Olympic record with a time of 10.61 seconds, making her the second-fastest woman ever.