I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from July, 2014
What Owen Arthur's Resignation Says About Barbados’ Politics
Owen Arthur has resigned from the political party he led for 14 years – a move which Barbados Underground thinks should give Barbadians pause: The incapacity of a former Prime Minister…to carve out an effective role to serve his political party in the twilight of his career leaves a sour...
Being A Black West Indian in Britain
Jamaican author Kei Miller's blog post about “the anxieties of being a black poet in Britain” draws from several personal experiences, leading him to the conclusion that “the act of writing certain black experiences has to be one of translation – as surely as we translate from one language into...
Trinidad & Tobago Minister Passes the Buck with Failed LifeSport Programme
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister has shut down the controversial Life Sport programme following the results of an audit, which uncovered the ministry's inability to account for millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money. The programme was originally intended to provide disenfranchised youth with options to a life a crime through...
Cuba's Customs Clamps Down in “Illegal Imports”
On September 1, 2014 the Customs Service of the Republic of Cuba will begin enforcing new regulations intended to combat illegal trafficking of merchandise by relatives, friends and ‘mules’ (a slang term for couriers of goods from overseas through airports and port facilities). Iván's File Cabinet considers this “one more...
The Hypocrisy of Outrage Against LGBT Rights in Jamaica
An off-colour comment by a Jamaican sports commentator who “dampened the moment of post World Cup celebrations with his shouts of ‘Heil Hitler’ on national television” leads author and blogger Kei Miller to pen a letter to the editor illustrating why his countrymen are living a double standard – outraged...
As Trinidad & Tobago's Military Hunts Down a Killer, Some Wonder Who's ‘Guarding the Guards’
Trinidad and Tobago's military is accused of flouting the law in the search for a soldier's killer. This isn't the first time authorities there have policed at any price.
Trinidad & Tobago: Does Living in the Digital Age Forfeit Your Right to Privacy?
ICT Pulse reviews a recently published report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the right to privacy in the digital age.
Improper Land Allocation Harms Trinidad & Tobago's Public Interest
Property ownership is a critical ingredient of the society we are trying to build. No one can deny that. The wealthiest people and companies in this society have made a great part of their wealth through property dealings – buying, leasing, sub-dividing, selling, renovating and so on….property is critical to...
Archaic Laws Continue Jamaica's History of Injustice
The anti-sodomy law is not the only archaic statute up for repeal in Jamaica. Author Kei Miller is astounded that a proposal to rescind the country's “blatantly racist Obeah Laws” has met with resistance: We seem to like throwing fits whenever it is suggested that we review and correct our...
Why the Caribbean Should Care About Net Neutrality
For those who figure that the issue of net neutrality doesn't affect them, Trinidad-based blogger Activized connects the dots. The concept that “all data is created equal” is not as common as you might think: Local telecommunications company Digicel announced that they were banning certain VoIP application services from their...
Jamaica's Anti-Gay Protesters Don't Want to Be Called Homophobic
Groups protesting a possible repeal of a colonial-era anti-sodomy law have tried to distance themselves from being labeled "homophobic." Caribbean bloggers insist on calling a spade a spade.
The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same In The Bahamas
After 41 years of independence, says Weblog Bahamas, it is “more than a bit ironic that…so many people are discussing the same issues…it's as if very little has changed.”
Budget Cuts Leave Barbados’ Health System Gasping for Air
Who in their right mind believed that a 35 million dollar cut to the health budget 2013 would not have adversely affected healthcare delivery in Barbados? Barbados Underground fears that the primary medical facility in the country, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is on its death bed.
Cuban Architect Mario Coyula Remembered
Bloggers mourn the passing of prominent Cuban architect Mario Coyula, who died at 79 from cancer.
Bermuda: Who's the Murderer?
Two Bermudian bloggers raise interesting questions about carnage on the nation's roads, even going so far as to call road fatalities “murder”.
Is Guyana's Population in Decline?
Ever since the quotation made famous by Mark Twain, that there are three types of lies – lies, damn lies and statistics – the profession of statistics invariably finds itself under the microscope… ChrisRam.net examines the preliminary report on the Guyana Population and Housing Census.
