Pulse of the Caribbean

#97 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 2 Week of August 18

• Pulse of the Caribbean

Share episode

The Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup covers significant regional developments including US military deployment, legislative changes in Barbados, disaster financing approval, and tourism innovations across Caribbean nations. Here’s a look at what’s making Caribbean headlines.

  • Over 4,000 US Marines and sailors deployed to the Caribbean as part of anti-drug trafficking operations
  • Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley announces removal of controversial wiretap provision from law following public protests
  • Guyana native Justice Arif Bulkan appointed to the Caribbean Court of Justice 
  • World Bank approves $20 million disaster risk management financing for St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Orlando Magic and Miami Heat to play NBA preseason game in Puerto Rico 
  • Antigua and Barbuda opens first independent overseas tourism office in Toronto 

These and other stories are on today’s Pulse of the Caribbean-Caribbean News Round Up Episode 2 for the Week of August 18. 

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 Runwalk, sponsored by the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Accommodations are now available. Register at VictoryRunwalkVIcom for the 5K, 10k and Half Marathon. Labor Day weekend, august 30th. 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. Welcome to the Pulse of the Caribbean. News Roundup, episode 2 for the week of August 18th. Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We start our report at the US State Department. Over 4,000 US Marines and sailors have been deployed to the Caribbean. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and two Iwo Jima amphibious-ready groups were sent to the South Command's South Com as a part of a larger relocation of military assets. Us defense officials told CNN last week In a footage shared on the US State Department's social media accounts.

Speaker 2:

Us Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the US will fight regional narco-terrorism. Rubio said the region has narco-terrorist groups. He said some use international transits and seas to bring poison to the US. Those groups will face consequences, he said. The president made that clear at his inauguration, rubio stated. He also said that the US does not recognize Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's government. Rubio said the Maduro regime is not a government. He said this government is not legitimate and has never been recognized. They are a criminal business that has taken over national land and threatens authorized US oil corporations in Guyana, rubio stated. Rubio said the president is adamant he will combat any threat to the US. Reuters also reported the US military anti-drug mission to the South Caribbean. Last week, two unidentified officials told Reuters that US air and naval forces were deployed to the southern Caribbean Sea to combat Latin American drug traffickers. According to the news report, trump has deployed two warships to crack down on drug cartels as a part of his strategy to curtail migration and secure the US southern border. Now we head to Barbados.

Speaker 2:

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley said that the government will abolish a controversial provision of Barbados' Interception of Communications Bill that enable wiretaps without a warrant. The statement came in a national speech on Sunday night, a day after Barbadians marched through Bridgetown to oppose the planned legislation, calling it a threat to constitutional rights and an open door to abuse and political targeting. Motley said Cabinet agreed, after review and legal advice, that the clause ought not to proclaim and the in fact should be repealed. The Senate will remove the measure and send it to the House of Assembly for approval. She said the law will still allow police to fight serious crimes, but only the chief justice and his designated judge can authorize interceptions. Motley said our rule is simple and straightforward no warrant, no interception. Our next stop is the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Speaker 2:

The Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission, the independent agency that recruits personnel and judges for the Caribbean Court of Justice, has appointed Guyana native Justice, afrif Balkan, as a judge. He will take over after Justice Winston Anderson became court president on July 4, 2025. Justice Balkan earned a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the West Indies, a legal education certificate from Hugh Wooding Law School, a Master of Laws from University College London and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, york University, canada. He has also worked regionally and globally as a litigator, professor, author, activist, judge and international law expert. Guyana admitted Justice Balkan to the bar in 1990. Justice Balkan was a Guyana Court of Appeals judge in 2018 and a Belize Court of Appeals judge since May 2022. The commission received 26 applications from Australia, barbados, canada, cameroon, fiji, guyana, jamaica, kenya, nigeria, pakistan, st Lucia, sri Lanka, the US and Trinidad and Tobago. During the recruiting process, five applicants, three male and two female, were shortlisted and interviewed with the chosen candidate, hired Justice Balkan. The third Guyanese judge on the Caribbean Court of Justice bench, is slated to be sworn in in October 2025. Now on to St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Speaker 2:

The World Bank Group Board of Executive Directors has approved fresh finance to help St Vincent and the Grenadines promptly access emergency funds to support its people. This disaster risk management development policy financing, valued at 20 million US dollars dollars, will help St Vincent and the Grenadines manage disaster risk and support comprehensive policy reforms to improve national preparedness and resilience. It contains a catastrophe deferred drawdown option and innovative World Bank financing mechanism to provide a fast access line of credit for emergency response. The catastrophe deferred drawdown option will provide St Vincent and the Grenadines witha 20 million US dollar emergency financing for catastrophe response. The government has implemented disaster preparedness reforms to get this financing modernizing land use and environmental assessment regulations, adopting a national disaster management policy that empowers communities, especially the most vulnerable, updating school safety protocols to ensure resilience, educational infrastructure, improving climate commitment coordination. Educational infrastructure, improving climate commitment coordination. And creating a dedicated budget classifier to improve tracking and transparency of disaster-related costs. St Vincent and the Grenadines follows Barbados, grenada, dominica, jamaica and St Lucia in using the catastrophe deferred drawdown option to develop financial buffers and institutional resilience in the face of escalating disaster risks. This project is part of the World Bank's crisis preparedness and response toolkits regional financial resilience strategy. The International Development Association, a World Bank group affiliate that helps low-income and small economies, fund this project. The International Development Association grants and low-interest funding helps countries invest in their futures, improve lives and build safer, more prosperous communities.

Speaker 2:

Next up, us National Basketball Association team to play international games in a preseason game in Puerto Rico. After this, st Thomas Virgin Islands Victory Run 2025 accommodations are now available After race registration. Book your stay and be the first occupants to stay at the Hamptons by Hilton, directly located at the start and finish line of Victory Run 2025. While around the bend and at the beach shore is the beautiful Westin Resort and connecting waterfront villas of the Bowie House. Both locations are family friendly and here to accommodate you with special rates, making your stay a breeze as you gear up and get ready for St Thomas Victory Run 2025 USVI. Book your stay now. This is the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 2, for the week of August 18th.

Speaker 2:

The Orlando Magic announced earlier this summer that they would play international games in Berlin and London to help the NBA develop the game. The Magic will also boost their presence closer to home. To start the preseason, the Magic announced that they will play the Miami Heat in San Juan, puerto Rico, on October 4th for preseason. Miami will play at home and Orlando on the road. Magic managing director Ryan DeVos told a Heat Magic press conference we are incredibly excited to play in Puerto Rico. We see Puerto Rico as a market extension. Our Central Florida Puerto Rican fan base is great and we're excited to play in this matchup. He said Orlando has one of the largest Puerto Rican fan base is great and we're excited to play in this matchup. He said Orlando has one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the country. Therefore, the Magic have always had a unique affinity with Puerto Rico. That relationship was strengthened in 2006 when the franchise acquired Carlos Arroyo, a Puerto Rican national team star from Fajardo. Puerto Rican fans in central Florida came to the then Amway Arena strengthening their bond and making memories with the team.

Speaker 2:

Antigua and Barbuda's Minister of Tourism, civil Aviation, transportation and Investment and Colin C James, ceo of the Tourism Authority, opened the authority's first independent overseas office in Toronto, canada, last week with Director of Tourism Tamika Wharton. Minister Fernandez told the gathering the office's elegance represents the destination brand in all its aspects. The Canadian tourism team can better serve trade and investment partners, journalists and travelers with this one-stop shop. Tourism director Tamika Wharton called the office a long-awaited triumph. Wharton emphasized this is part of a Canada-wide marketing push leading up to the winter season. The state-of-the-art office at 201-100 Shepherd Avenue East in Toronto has soundproof meeting booths, virtual reality and recording stations and the Black Pineapple Academy, a conference and training room for travel professionals and enthusiasts to learn about Antigua and Barbuda beyond the beach.

Speaker 2:

This podcast is brought to you by Victory Run Walk, sponsored by the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Accommodations are now available. Register at VictoryRunWalkVIcom for the 5K, 10k and Half Marathon. Labor Day weekend, august 30th, 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. If you have an interest in sponsoring our podcast, email us at biz B-I-Z at pulseofthecaribbeancom. This has been your Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 2, for the week of August 18th. Here's a shout-out to our listeners in Haiti, florida and Australia. Thanks for listening and do spread the word and share our podcast with others across the region and the diaspora. I'm Keisha Blyden.

Speaker 1:

See you next time 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.