CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
Cash-strapped regional airline LIAT
recently celebrated its 63rd anniversary,
indicating that it remains “resilient to
fulfil its mandate to connect the Caribbean.”
The Antigua-based
airline, which was
founded in Montserrat
in October 1956 by
Kittian-born Sir Frank
Delisle, operates 491 weekly flights to
15 destinations from Puerto Rico in the
north to Guyana in the south.
Chief Executive Officer, Julie Reifer-
Jones, said despite its present problems,
she was thankful to the passengers
across the regions who are supporting
the airline.
She said the airline, which employs
more than 600 people, provides the
critical service of connecting the Caribbean.
Reifer-Jones said that the airline has
continued to make strides in its ontime
performance and customer service
across the region as the airline moves
itself on a sustainable footing.
Antigua and Barbuda had been holding
talks with Barbados on acquiring
further shares in the airline, but said
it was not willing to pay the estimated
US$44 million the government had
been asking for the sale of its shares.
Apart from Antigua and Barbuda and
Barbados, the other shareholders are
the governments of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Dominica and Grenada.
Bahamas
The United Nations International
Organization for Migration (IOM) has
launched a US$10 million appeal to
assist The Bahamas as the country
continues to recover from the devastation
brought on by Hurricane Dorian
recently.
IOM said the funding
will support its
operations in areas
such as camp coordination
and management,
provision of shelter and nonfood
items, and emergency evacuations
through April 2020.
IOM officer, Nazif Aliu said Hurricane
Dorian caused widespread devastation
on the islands of Abaco, from
Marsh Harbor to the North, and Grand
Bahama, from Pelican Point east to
Mclean’s Town, leaving behind a trail of
destroyed infrastructure, clogged with
debris from devastated houses, domestic
goods, vehicles and natural debris
like trees and mangroves, uprooted by
the storm surge.
The UN said that when Hurricane
Dorian hit the Bahamas on Sept. 1, Category
5 storm caused 61 deaths, while
more than 600 people are still missing.
IOM has established two offices in
Caribbean L 4 ife, NOVEMBER 1-7, 2019
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
Opposition protester shouts slogans against President Nicolas Maduro and against he failures of public services in the State of Zulia,
in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019. See story on Page 42. Associated Press / Ariana Cubillos
the Bahamas — one in the capital, Nassau,
and the other on Abaco — with a
third planned for Grand Bahama.
Guyana
London-based oil exploration and
production company, Tullow Oil, says
it expects to spend an estimated US$80
million on drilling wells in Guyana’s
offshore basis this year.
Tullow Oil started
the search for oil in
the Orinduik Block in
June and was successful
two months later.
The Jethro-1 well was drilled and
according to the head of communications
at Tullow Oil, George Cazenove,
drilling will soon begin on the Carapa
well in the Kanuku license.
He said in 2019 the company is going
to spend US$80 million on the wells
that are being drilled this year.
Cazenove noted that the seismic
exercises which were conducted previously
had a separate cost attached to
them and that the company has not
yet outlined a budget for operations in
2020.
But he acknowledged that “next year’s
program would be materially defined by
what happens and what does not happen
with the Carapa well.”
Haiti
Haiti has warned rioters that attack
on tourist plants on the French-speaking
CARICOM country are putting the
sector at risk as well as possible future
investments in the industry.
Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Bocchit
Edmond, who is also
the acting minister of
tourism said there had
been attacks on several tourist establishments
in areas across the island in
recent times, also affecting workers.
He said these intimidating and irresponsible
acts only endanger thousands
of jobs in the tourism sector and on the
other hand, constitute a serious threat
to the freedom of enterprise.
Edmond said while the Haitian constitution
guarantees everyone to freely
express their demands peacefully.
He was reminding protestors that they
have “the imperative obligations to protect
Haitian companies that participate
in the creation of jobs and of wealth at
the national level.”
Opposition parties have been staging
demonstrations over the past weeks
demanding the resignation of President
Jovenel Moise, whom they have accused
of engaging in corruption linked to the
Venezuelan-funded oil initiative, PetroCaribe.
But Moise has said he has no intention
of stepping down and instead has
proposed a national dialogue so as to
move the country forward.
Jamaica
The Canadian government has updated
the emergency status for Jamaica on
a travel advisory due to continued high
level violent crime.
In an advisory, the
Canadian government
noted that the
Jamaican government
has declared a state of
emergency effective until Oct. 19, for
the central parishes of Clarendon and
St. Catherine.
It added that a further state of emergency
is effective until Oct. 28, for the
following areas the western parishes of
St. James, Hanover and Westmorland
— areas that include the tourist resort
towns of Montego Bay and Negril.
In addition, a state of emergency
has been declared for the Corporate
Area, which includes areas of Kingston,
which is in effect until Jan. 4 next year.
The advisory said tourists must exercise
a high degree of caution at all
times, as well as monitor local media
and follow instructions of local authorities.
It stated that, “violent crime,
including armed robbery and murder,
is a problem in large cities despite the
presence of police to counter criminal
activity. The availability of firearms is
widespread, and most violent drug and
gang-related crimes, especially murder,
involve firearms, if you are staying
at a resort in an effected area, you
are advised to restrict your movements
Continued on Page 16
THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME
More protests in Venezuela
/www.caribbeanlifenews.com
/www.caribbeanlifenews.com