Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from February, 2012
Cuba: Different Pope, Different People
Generation Y adds her perspective to the issue of the upcoming papal visit: “At the end of the nineties Karol Wojtyla lit up our hearts – including those of agnostics like myself – saying the word ‘freedom’ more than a dozens times in the Plaza of the Revolution. But now...
Jamaica: The Marley Brand
Active Voice blogs about a public talk that Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley gave at the University of the West Indies, while Jamaica Woman Tongue repors that “Jamaicans of all social classes” attended the 12th staging of the Bob Marley Tribute Concert, ‘Trench Town Rock’.
Jamaica: Engaging on Twitter
“Twitter is a very interesting space once you engage”: Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac finds himself empowered by the microblogging service.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Women's Congress
“There is great buzz about St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ first ever Women’s Congress to take place in March”: CODE RED says that “ff the Women’s Congress can move towards the creating women as a political constituency they will have achieved tremendous success.”
Cuba: Prisoner of 18 Years Released
“After almost 18 years as a captive in the Castro gulag, Rafael Ibarra Roque on Thursday was released from jail“: Uncommon Sense says that “his release represents a victory for Ibarra, his family and the Cuban opposition.”
Jamaica: Journalist “Mutty” Perkins Dies
Girl With a Purpose mourns the death of controversial Jamaican journalist and radio talk show host, Wilmott ‘Mutty’ Perkins, who passed away this morning, saying: “We hope, ‘Mutty’, that Jamaicans will truly be free to understand that Jamaica is for Jamaicans and those who love her and not for those...
Barbados: “Insultingly Low” Sentence
Barbados Free Press publishes a letter from a reader, expressing outrage at the minimun sentence for a man that claimed self-defense in his ex-girlfriend's murder: “At the same time we are all discussing Raul Garcia who got 15 years for his offense. So if this murderer had weed in his...
Jamaica: Go Easy on the Guns
The United States is sending “a donation that comes with a message” to Jamaica, supplying the island's police force with “batons, handcuffs, pepper sprays and equipment belts for approximately 6,500 frontline officers” – which prompts Jamaica Salt to ask: “With a culture of impunity within the police…and in a country...
Trinidad & Tobago: Implementation Key in DNA Bill
The TnT River says of the amended DNA Bill, which was recently passed “after a 14 hour sitting of the Senate”: “It is a positive step in the right direction, but this action definitely needs proper planning and stringent execution for continued success.”
Cuba: Collapsing Capital?
“For Rogelio, 49, the need for housing is stronger than his fear of losing his life due to a collapse”: Iván's File Cabinet discusses the conundrum many inhabitants of Havana face.
Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing Siparia
MEP Publishers visits Siparia, a vibrant community that has had a fascinating part to play in the island's history.
Puerto Rico: Extraordinary Decisions
“What do you say when you meet someone you think is extraordinary? You should say ‘Hi!’ and then start a conversation,” says Gil the Jenius, who profiles the extraordinary Andrea Pérez, a speaker at the recently held TEDx San Juan.
Cuba: Pollan's Family Owed Apology
Iván García writes about the late leader of Las Damas de Blanco, Laura Pollan, recounting a violent assault on the group days before her death and saying: “If they have anything left of humanism and dignity, her assaulters owe a public apology to the family of Laura Pollan Toledo.” Pedazos...
Trinidad & Tobago: Cocoyea Craftiness
The cocoyea (pronounced Ko-ki-ye) is “the mid rib of the coconut leaf that is stripped with a knife” and has many uses, from bird-catching to kite-flying; in this post, Simply Trini Cooking explains how to make a broom out of it, which he calls “an integral part of our culture.”
Cuba: Bloggers Say Pope Should Postpone Trip
Cuban bloggers have been making their feelings known about the impending papal visit to Cuba, their main concern being that the Vatican is putting its stamp of approval on the Castro government despite regular reports of human rights violations coming out of the island.
Cuba: Cell Phone Power
“Cell phones have changed our lives,” writes Generation Y, adding: “If, in March of 2008, Raul Castro had imagined the role cell phones would play in Cuba’s incipient civil society, he probably never would have authorized their use.”
Barbados: Take The Prisoner
An interesting development in the case of the Cuban prisoner being held past his sentence in Barbados, is here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Children's Rights
West Indian Mother thinks that “it's high time we start acting in defense of our children and treat them with the respect that is the right of every human being. ”
Cuba: Get Mad
Without Evasion shares her wish for 2012: “To see Cuba full of angry people, for it is on that day that we will be closer to such longed for rights and democracy.”
Bahamas: University of the Bahamas?
Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit wonders what the keep-back is with establishing a Bahamian university, saying: “An autonomous university would be a big step to achieving such a counterweight to political inertia (and I suspect that's the real issue here).”
Cuba: Young Activist
Pedazos de la Isla blogs about a sixteen-year-old dissident who “calls on ‘all Cuban students’ to join the resistance to end with the Castro dictatorship.”
