Pulse of the Caribbean

#56 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 1 Week of June 9

• Pulse of the Caribbean

Share episode

Caribbean nations adapt to changing global landscapes through strategic partnerships and innovative approaches, addressing challenges from restricted U.S. education access to mounting cybersecurity threats and regional security concerns.

  • British Virgin Islands establishes UK education alternatives as U.S. restricts student visas
  • Antigua and Barbuda hosts regional cybersecurity forum to combat rising digital threats 
  • U.S. Coast Guard seizes $138 million in illicit drugs during multinational operations in Caribbean waters
  • Panama offers to train Haitian police in border and urban security 

Subscribe to Pulse of the Caribbean for weekly insights into the economic, political, and social developments reshaping the region. What Caribbean story interests you most? Please share your thoughts and join our growing community of listeners passionate about the Caribbean's future.

 Be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen online at www.pulseofthecaribbean.com or your favorite streaming platform.

Send news releases to news@pulseofthecaribean.com. If you have an interest in sponsoring our podcast, email us at  biz@pulseofthecaribbean.com.

Speaker 1:

This is the Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Roundup. Now today's Caribbean News Headlines.

Speaker 2:

This podcast is brought to you by Victory Run Walk, sponsored by the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Register now for the 5K, 10k and Halfathon. Labor Day weekend St Thomas, us Virgin Islands, and Diamond Key. Marina, yosemite Dike, british Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. Welcome to the Pulse of the Caribbean. News Roundup, episode 1 for the week of June 9th.

Speaker 2:

Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We start our report in the British Virgin Islands. In light of the United States' growing aversion to international students attending US universities, to international students attending US universities, the British Virgin Islands Ministry of Education recently partnered with a number of United Kingdom post-secondary institutions in an attempt to establish new avenues for British Virgin Islands scholars. British Virgin Islands Education Minister Shari DeCastro and H Lavity Stout Community College President, dr Richard Georges recently attended the Education World Forum in London to speak with institutions that could serve as alternative schools for BVI students. The schools are Barnett-Soutgate College, london Metropolitan University, morley College, edmight, richmond, american University, london and Westminster University. As US President Donald Trump's policy on foreign students affects the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean nations, decastro said that these school engagements were crucial. Decastro, told the BVI House of Assembly. They are a proactive, forward-looking response to recent and concerning developments in the US, where the current US administration has temporarily halted certain categories of student visas, disrupting educational planning for many families and casting uncertainty over the future of Caribbean students entering the United States.

Speaker 2:

Now on to Antigua. The American Registry for Internet Numbers, arin, and the Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions are collaborating with the Antiguan government to bring together international and regional experts to address growing cyber threats. International and regional experts to address growing cyber threats, from identity theft to ransomware attacks. Key leaders and experts in Caribbean justice and law enforcement agencies dealing with those increasingly complex digital threats will convene for the 2025 Aaron Caribbean Justice Forum on cybersecurity on July 8-9 in Antigua and Barbuda. Aaron, the American Registry for Internet Numbers, a US-based nonprofit that maintains and allocates IP addresses in North America and much of the English-speaking Caribbean, is working with the Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions to organize this closed-door event. Sir Stedroy Benjamin, attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda, said this forum demonstrates our commitment to digital modernization and coordinated regional action. We acknowledge that cybersecurity and justice sector resilience are not only national priorities but also regional imperatives. The two-day forum will include high-level panels, case study discussions and practical workshops focusing on cybersecurity awareness, investigative methodologies, interagency, cooperation, regional policy trends and the appropriate use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement.

Speaker 2:

In other news, the United States Coast Guard said Friday it intercepted more than $138 million worth of illicit drugs during multiple operations in the Caribbean Sea. The crew of the Cutter Valiant offloaded 17,450 pounds of cocaine and 2,585 pounds of marijuana, valued at $130,000. $32 million at Port Everglades, florida. A day earlier, the cutter vigorously delivered approximately 840 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $6.2 million to Coast Guard base in Miami Beach. According to the Coast Guard, the seizures resulted from six interdictions in the Caribbean Sea carried out by the agency and its interagency and international partners. Commander Matthew Press, commanding officer of the Valiant, said collaborating with the United States Navy, royal Canadian and Royal Netherland Navies, our multinational team disrupted transnational criminal organizations, making the world a safer place.

Speaker 2:

Next up, brazil hosts Caribbean Summit. After this, get ready for Victory Run Walk 2025. Registration is open for the Virgin Islands 5K, 10k and half marathon. Register at VictoryRunWalkVIcom.

Speaker 2:

Whether you're a Caribbean national or just want to learn more about the Caribbean, you've got the right podcast. In our newest feature, the Pulse caribbean podcast interview segment, episode number 50, meet israel peterson, culture bearer and teacher, as he shares the rich tradition of mukajumbi still dancing and its deep cultural significance in the us virgin islands. His passion for preserving this african heritage shines through as he recounts his personal journey from childhood fascination to becoming a master practitioner. Pulse of the Caribbean podcast. Listen online on our website, pulseofthecaribbeancom or your favorite streaming platform. This is the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 1, for the week of June 9th.

Speaker 2:

Brazilian President Luiz Inésio Lula da Silva will host a Brazil-Caribbean summit on June 19 in Brasilia, with a focus on addressing the crisis in Haiti, particularly the escalating violence caused by armed gangs. The summit, held under the theme Bringing Together to Unite, will also tackle major regional issues. The event will bring together leaders from Brazil, cuba and 10 CARICOM member states. According to the Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agency will cover five key areas food security, climate change, energy transition, disaster risk management and Brazil-Caribbean connectivity. The summit will further serve as a platform to coordinate positions for COP30, which Brazil will host this November. And here's our final note.

Speaker 2:

As Haiti's crisis continues, the Panamanian government has volunteered to train Haitian police in border and urban security and urban security. According to Panama's President, josé Raúl Molino, panama has no immediate intentions to deploy police personnel to Haiti, which has so far rejected any deployments. Molino informed Leslie Voltaire, the president of the Haitian Presidential Council, that Panama would only send police to participate in the Blue Helmets peacekeeping effort upon formal United Nations requests. To help prepare Haitian police for their security issues, panama suggested hosting them at its National Police and Border Service School for specialized training. The president of Panama stressed that, especially considering Panama's status as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, training Haitian soldiers domestically would be a more effective approach to support Haiti's attempt at peace and democracy.

Speaker 2:

This podcast has been brought to you by Victory Run Walk, sponsored by the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Register now for the 5K, 10k and Half Marathon. Labor Day weekend, st Thomas, us Virgin Islands and Diamond Key, marina, yosvendike, british Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. Have news and information you'd like to share with us. Send news releases to news at pulseofthecaribbeancom. This has been your Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode one for the week of June 9th. I'm Keisha Blyden. See you next time. Bye, guys.

Speaker 1:

For more Caribbean news stories and information, visit us online at pulseofthecaribbeancom. If you found value in this podcast, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and thank you in advance for choosing Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Roundup as your source for Caribbean-centered news.