I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from November, 2010
Haiti: Valid Vote?
Dying in Haiti continues to comment on Sunday's election, here and here, saying, even as the OAS announces that the vote should be deemed valid: “The methods that I witnessed on Sunday morning sure wouldn't give robust results choosing new Haitian leaders.”
Cuba: Content of Cables
Along the Maleon says that the “Cablegate” cables that pertain to Cuba appear to be about the country's “political affairs, the country's relations with other countries and human rights.”
Trinidad & Tobago: CLICO Showdown
Afra Raymond tells of “amazing scenes” as the CLICO bailout debacle reaches the showdown stage.
Cuba: The Remaining 11
As the Cardinal of Havana declares that the release of the remaining political prisoners is not in his hands, Uncommon Sense says: “The difficulty he faces in understandable. But what is indefensible is that at least publicly, he never comes across as a champion for those Cubans…”
Barbados: Independence Day Awards
Today is Independence Day in Barbados. Cheese-on-bread! republishes the list of this year's honourees and congratulates the President of the Senate, who was honoured “for his distinguished career and his outstanding service and contribution to Barbados and public life.”
U.S.V.I.: Stalwart Passes On
News of St. John is saddened by the death of Ruth ‘Sis’ Frank, “a stalwart of the island's community.”
Bahamas: Power & Race
“There is a core lack of confidence in the ability—or is it the right?—of Bahamians to take control of our own destiny”: Blogworld considers the merit of a thesis “on Blackness & The Presumptions of Ultimate Power.”
Haiti: Election Results?
“So the big election day in Haiti happened. However, the whole process seemed horribly dysfunctional to me. How many voters were left out just due to logistics? And what about fraud and intimidation?”: Dying in Haiti is convinced that “the results of the election, whenever they will be determined, will...
Barbados: Independence Celebrations
Tomorrow will be Barbados’ 44th anniversary of Independence – My Barbados Blog reports.
Bermuda: Wikileaks Fallout
Vexed Bermoothes thinks that the fallout from the latest Wikileaks revelations “will be deep and broad”, adding: “Interestingly, 68 of the cables mention Bermuda…one can assume that at least some of these relate to Dr. Brown’s Uighur follies.”
Haiti: Election Day
Today, Haiti goes to the polls in an election that has been fraught with controversy and affected by the ongoing cholera epidemic. With the country's most popular political party being barred from contesting, some bloggers can't help but feel that today's process is really more of a “selection” than an election.
Haiti: Cholera & Elections
HAITI, Land of Freedom notes that several human rights groups have expressed concerns about the country's upcoming elections in the midst of the cholera epidemic.
Cuba: Reasons for Confiscation
Generation Y finds out that the reason copies of her book were confiscated, is because its contents “are against the general interests of the nation, since it argues that certain political and economic changes are required in Cuba so that its citizens may have more material benefits and achieve personal...
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Election Violence
“When did we become so intolerant that we are unwilling to grant people the right of association?”: Abeni is calling for an end to the violence surrounding the lead-up to election day.
Trinidad & Tobago: El Tucuche
“The only known Amerindian glyphs in Trinidad occur on a rock outcrop here”: wordtryst blogs about her favourite mountain.
Cuba: Waiting in Vain?
“We are surrounded by a repression that does not sign papers, show its face, or place a stamp next to each act which violates its own law”: Generation Y is waiting for answers.
Barbados: Shameful Vote at UN
With the country's recent abstention from the UN vote allowing executions of LGBT people, BFP says: “I have always found it shameful that Barbados – a nation founded with the assistance of chains, whips, rape and cultural genocide – now so easily supports nations involved in slavery and human rights...
Bermuda: The Marijuana Issue
“Truth be told, there is no way to stop people from smoking weed”: bermudashorts suggests that if politicians want to have “a meaningful conversation with young people about weed”, they will need to understand that most of them “don’t want to be fed a bunch of lies about marijuana’s ill...
Haiti: Football Funds to Help Earthquake Recovery
Repeating Islands reports that Haiti's earthquake recovery effort will benefit from proceeds of the 8th Annual [Football] Match Against Poverty, to be held on December 15 in Greece.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fictitious Phone Call
aka_lol, tongue very much in cheek, posts a fictitious exchange between the former Prime Minister and the former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T, who was in charge of awarding billions of dollars in state contracts.
Cuba: Democratic Change?
“I don’t think capitalism is the model of a perfect life. But it is more logical and possible at this stage of human development”: Translating Cuba examines “the hard road to democracy”.
