Stories about Caribbean from April, 2009
Jamaica: Wasn't Me
Girl With a Purpose learns that as investigations are launched into the security breach at the Jamaican airport which resulted in a (now resolved) hostage situation, “the persons in charge of security at the airport (MBJ Airports Limited) are telling us – it wasn't them…”
Trinidad & Tobago: Film on Calypso Rose
de cooler : soca news blogs about a new documentary on the life of legendary Trinbagonian singer, Calypso Rose.
Trinidad & Tobago: Solo Signature
Trinidadian blogger B.C. Pires says the real reason that the signing ceremony for the recently-concluded Summit of the Americas was important “was to justify the scandalous costs of the Chinese-built Great House…a pity our Big Cheese signed alone; makes that whole firetrucking International Important Monkeys In Jackets Liming Spot seem...
Jamaica: Read a Book
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp recognizes World Book and Copyright Day.
Caribbean: Earth Day
A few regional bloggers acknowledge the significance of Earth Day: Grenada's Spicewriter, Jamaica's Life, Unscripted, on the Rock and Bermuda's cartoon blog, The Devil Island.
Martinique: Celebrating Aimé Césaire
It is with great reverence that Martinican bloggers celebrated the first anniversary of the death of Aimé Césaire, who passed away on April 17th 2008.
Dominica: Tsunami Risk?
Steve's Dominica and Dominica Weekly blog about a report which suggests that “Dominica is set to trigger a tsunami which may kill 30,000 in Guadeloupe.” Steve adds: “I don't know which is worse: the armchair scientist painting a Hollywood-style scenario, or the reporter dramatically renaming our mountain ‘Devil's Peak’ to...
Curaçao: Protesting for Autonomy
Repeating Islands reports on a demonstration in Curaçao, “in opposition to a political reform agreement just concluded with the Netherlands.”
Bahamas: Check Your Contents
On the subject of Bahamian cultural heritage, Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith says: “The real issue here is one of judgment. We already spend huge amounts of taxpayer dollars on packaging the Bahamas overseas, while very little thought or money is invested in the product we are selling.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Summit Thoughts
From Trinidad and Tobago, The Undisputed Truth claims that “even Fidel Castro thinks the Summit was too expensive”, while Barbados-based B.C. Pires is experiencing the “post-Summit blues”.
Barbados: Maloney Inquest Verdict
Barbados Free Press blogs about the upcoming inquest verdict on the death of I’Akobi Maloney, saying: “No matter what the findings of the coroner, the big losers in this inquest are every officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force.”
Haiti: Senate Elections
Alice Smeets posts a series of photographs of Haiti's senatorial elections this past weekend, while My Life, an Open Book… says: “It turned out to be a terrible election…not because people were killed, but because the voice of the people was not heard.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Return on Investment?
“Trinidadians always buy into this idea that hosting something will get us lots of free press. Thing is: no-one really cares all that much who hosts the summit. Perhaps you get a few extra googles…but the idea that these things pay for themselves is delusional”: Club Soda and Salt is...
Bermuda, Turks & Caicos: The Intervention Issue
Bermudian bloggers Vexed Bermoothes and Catch a fire continue to discuss the suspension of self-governance in the Turks and Caicos islands.
Jamaica: Ripple Effect
Life, Unscripted, on the Rock, has more questions than answers about the recently-resolved hostage situation at a Jamaican airport.
Guyana: Doing His Part
Guyanese blogger Imran Khan is doing his part “to help save electricity, thereby saving fuel, thereby saving the environment.”
Americas: 5th Summit Reactions
The much-hyped Fifth Summit of the Americas is now over, culminating with the Hemispheric leaders' adoption of the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain - albeit with one signatory - the Prime Minister of host country Trinidad and Tobago, who purportedly signed on behalf of all participating leaders. This signaled to many a clear lack of unanimity on the final declaration, hardly surprising given the differing agendas of the 34 participating nations. Bloggers were quick to post their impressions of the three-day engagement.
Jamaica: Hostages Released
Breaking news in Jamaica this morning is that a hostage situation has developed with the crew of a Canadian jet at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. Canadian mainstream media is since reporting that the situation was resolved without any loss of life when "an anti-terrorism unit of the Jamaican military stormed the plane and disarmed the gunman", but bloggers Caribbean-wide and throughout the diaspora are still in disbelief.
Bahamas: The Economics of Culture
“It is not foreign investment that economists and development agencies are suggesting is the engine of economic development in the 21st century; it’s culture”: Nicolette Bethel thinks that the Bahamian government's apparent postponement of the Caribbean Festival of Arts is “a terrible idea”.
Haiti: Election or Selection?
Repeating Islands reports that Haiti's Senate elections this past weekend were “marred today by sporadic violence, forcing authorities to cancel polling in parts of the country”. Pwoje Espwa notes: “Fanmi Lavalas (ex-President Jean Bertrand Aristide's political party) will not be in the race due to not being able to satisfy...
Jamaica: Perspective on Pirates
Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul happened to be reading a manuscript about pirates at a time when “the pirates of Somalia were rousing international consternation by capturing a US ship and holding its crew hostage” – and she shares an alternative perspective on this age-old profession.
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