Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from May, 2007
Cuba: Closure of Venezuelan TV Station
“The Venezuelan freight train toward a castro-style totalitarian dictatorship is gaining momentum at a frightening pace with the closure and confiscation of one of the few remaining independent media voices in that country, RCTV, and where is the mainstream American and International media?” asks Babalu Blog, while El Cafe Cubano...
Barbados: Health Care Woes
Despite encouraging press statements, Barbados Free Press is concerned about the quality of health care being provided at Queen Elizabeth Hospital : “After all, when it gets right down to it, our Queen Elizabeth Hospital is not just the primary health care facility – it is the only hospital in...
Trinidad & Tobago: News Roundup
In reviewing the top news stories of the week, Trinidadian blogger Jonathan Ali finds a recurring theme – forgiveness.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Murder of Innocents
After a domestic squabble turns disturbingly violent, Abeni wonders, “When did it become okay to kill our children, when?”
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Drummer Muhtadi Thomas
Geoffrey Philp features Trinidad multi-media artist Elspeth Duncan as she talks about the experience of working on a Leda Serene documentary about Master drummer Muhtadi Thomas: “I asked him if he would open our filming session in the same way that he opens his drumming sessions, with his hands playing...
Guyana, Barbados: Press Freedom
Antilles, along with many regional newspapers, stands behind Stabroek News in condemning the Guyanese government's advertising boycott of the newspaper due to editorial content – while Barbados Free Press wonders why The Nation News could not have assumed a similar stance with local freedom of speech issues.
Cuba: Welcome The Beatles
“It’s taken the best part of 40 years but The Beatles have finally arrived in the part of Cuba where I grew up. Officially, that is,” writes Child of the Revolution, who thinks that the opening of a replica of the tavern where the Fab Four first found fame is...
Belize: Supreme Court Rules Against Police
The Belize Supreme Court has ruled that the police cannot prevent citizens from protesting against the controversial Universal Health Services loan guarantee during today's House of Representatives meeting. Belizean quotes United Democratic Party leader Dean Barrow: “The will of the people obviously cannot be thwarted and the right to dissent...
Suriname, Barbados: CARICOM Failing Caribbean People
As Suriname announces plans for the construction of a nuclear power facility, Barbados Underground writes, “This affair epitomizes the ineffective organ we call Caricom.”
Bahamas: Race Matters
“Race matters. And we need to talk about it in order to make it matter less.” Nicolette Bethel starts the discussion on race relations in the Bahamas.
Aruba: Tabloid Journalism
After a photo of a Minister of Parliament sunbathing nude is dubbed “Picture of the Year” by an Aruban daily, Arubagirl asks, “What good did it do? How does embarrassing this guy help the public at large? If his only crime is that he had no clothes on, I think...
Trinidad & Tobago: Soca Star Arrested
Trinidad and Tobago girls, politics, sports, technology, carnival and lifestyle reports on the arrest of soca singer Machel Montano following an incident that occurred outside Zen nightclub a few weeks ago.
Barbados: Rihanna and Tuk
As Gallimaufry celebrates fellow Barbadian Rihanna's accomplishment of being the first artiste ever to reach Number 1 on the UK singles charts solely on the basis of digital sales, she also takes a look at Tuk, a musical genre indigenous to Barbados.
Bahamas: Saving Nassau
Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit has a few ideas about how to go about improving downtown Nassau and quotes Pat Rahming to emphasize the point: “…The need for thought about both the function and meaning of the downtown can't be overemphasized. That is where the legacy of the nation is...
Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Cozier on West Indies’ Performance
“At Lord’s, there was an unmistakable hint that old uncertainty had been replaced by new resolve.” West Indies Cricket Blog quotes cricket commentator Tony Cozier on the West Indies team's performance against England.
US Virgin Islands: Active Hurricane Season
News of St. John reports that the upcoming hurricane season is expected to be “more active than usual”.
Barbados: Conversations about Culture
“…In countries that have no culture or are afraid they may have no culture, there is a Minister of Culture.” Jamaica Kincaid's essay on Antigua hits home for Barbadian blogger Gallimaufry.
Trinidad & Tobago: Journalistic Responsibility
Attending a conference on Haiti gets Trinidadian blogger Jonathan Ali thinking about stereotyping and the role of the media.
Barbados: Integrity Standards
“Our political system has NO RULES about accountability, transparency, integrity & conflict of interest standards or laws that allow citizens to access government information. In such a free-for-all system it would take a saint to not become corrupted.” Barbados Free Press cites the reasons why they think one political party...
Anguilla: Homosexuality and Constitutional Reform
“We cannot allow ourselves to get side tracked when it comes to our Constitution. We have to be ready with our arguments when the British team arrives in Anguilla in July”: As one of Britain's last remaining colonies readies itself for constitutional reform, Corruption-free Anguilla examines the current legislation regarding...
US Virgin Islands: Sahara Dust
“Dust from the Sahara (yes, truly!) is being blown across the ocean and reducing visibility. It’s also increasing medical problems for people with allergies and asthma”: U.S. Virgin Island blogger Frank Barnako hopes the worst is over.
