By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS 7 October 2023 (IDN) — A Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission led by Kenya –assigned to the politically troubled Caribbean nation of Haiti—has come under fire even before it could get off the ground. Amnesty International (AI) Kenya says there is a need to thoroughly assess Kenyan security forces’ human […]
The ‘Bumpy Road’ between Cuba and America
By Jan Servaes* MIAMI, USA. 29 September 2023 (IDN) — “As many people who know Cuba and Miami well have observed, each is a peculiar mirror of the other. … It is impossible to understand the Cuban Revolution without understanding Miami, and it is impossible to understand Miami without understanding the Cuban Revolution,” writes Ada […]
Caribbean Moving Against “Killer Robots”
By Peter Richards* DIEGO MARTIN, Trinidad & Tobago. 28 September 2023 (IDN) — Caribbean countries have signalled their intention of moving against autonomous weapons systems (AWS) or “killer robots” developing a common position on the issue that will find favour with the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping. AWS are weapons systems that use artificial intelligence […]
Cocaine Trade is Flourishing Again in South America
By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA. 24 September 2023 (IDN) — The cocaine trade is experiencing a resurgence in South America, bouncing back from a downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the intriguing positions of several regional countries, Latin America has yet to seriously discuss its drug policy, instead clinging to the prohibitionist and […]
Caribbean Leaders Want Urgent Reform of the Global Financial Structure
By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad. 21 September 2023 (IDN) — In a resounding call to action, leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have urged the international community to swiftly embark on comprehensive reforms of the global financial system to create a conducive environment that empowers developing nations to address inequities and achieve the […]
Mobilizing Guyana’s Diaspora Beyond Remittances
By P.I. Gomes The writer is Former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean & Pacific States (OACPS). GEORGETOWN, 23 May 2023 (IDN) — In the north-east coast of South America, the small and newest petro-state sits the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. With a population of almost 800,000 persons, the former British colony was granted […]
New Report Warns of Pervasive Financial Fraud in the Caribbean
By J C Suresh TORONTO (IDN) — A new report has warned that fraud in the Caribbean region is widespread and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in criminal proceeds yearly. The report entitled Financial Fraud in the Caribbean draws on interviews with subject matter experts from law enforcement, financial intelligence units (FIUs), financial services […]
Gustavo Petro’s Election Promises a Major Change in Colombia
By Shastri Ramachandaran NEW DELHI (IDN) — The leftward shift in South America that gained momentum in 2021, with right-wing politicians being worsted in presidential elections in Peru, Chile and Honduras, continues its sweep in 2022. Colombia, famous for its coffee and the novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, has long remained under right-wing regimes that enjoyed […]
Climate Change and COVID-19 Playing Havoc in Latin America and the Caribbean
Viewpoint by Mario Cimoli The writer is the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). SANTIAGO, Chile (IDN) — The Latin America and the Caribbean region is home to some of the widest biodiversity on the planet. From Caribbean marine and coastal oases to the Amazon rainforest and […]
Looking for Alicia: The Unfinished Life of an Argentinian Rebel
By Marc Raboy Marc Raboy (http://www.marcraboy.org/) is a writer, journalist, and emeritus professor at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This article is based on his latest book, “Looking for Alicia: The Unfinished Life of an Argentinian Rebel”, published in April 2022 by Oxford University Press. MONTREAL, CANADA — June 17, 1976, was a brisk […]