Your satirical summary of what’s happening across the Caribbean. Because Guyana isn’t the only place where the news is stranger than fiction. 🌴
🇯🇲 Jamaica: IMF Approves US$415M Emergency Assistance
The IMF Executive Board approved approximately US$415 million in emergency financial assistance for Jamaica to help meet urgent balance-of-payments needs stemming from Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact.
Jamaica’s international reserves remain “historically strong” but the external position weakened significantly after the hurricane. Meanwhile, PM Holness is riding high as the first JLP leader to win three consecutive terms. Winning elections AND getting IMF money? That’s a Jamaican double.
In other Jamaica news, West Indies Petroleum Terminal Limited successfully listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. Jamaica collecting revenue streams like Pokémon cards.
🇺🇸 US Tightens Visa Screws on Caribbean Nationals
If you thought getting a US visa was already painful, 2026 just made it worse. The Trump administration is cracking down on “birth tourism,” and Caribbean nations including Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Dominica, and Grenada are all facing stricter scrutiny.
Consular officers now probe travel purpose, maternity plans, accommodation details, and medical insurance coverage. They’re even checking your SOCIAL MEDIA for mentions of US hospitals or maternity plans.
So if you posted a baby shower photo with a caption about “Miami delivery” — that visa interview just got a lot more interesting. Caribbean nationals planning legitimate travel are caught in the crossfire. More documentation required, longer processing times, and higher denial rates expected across the board.
🇹🇹 Trinidad: “We Didn’t Do It” — Part 47
A full month after the US captured Maduro on January 3, Trinidad and Tobago is STILL reminding everyone that they had nothing to do with the Venezuela operation. PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s statement from that morning — “Trinidad and Tobago is NOT a participant in any of these ongoing military operations” — has become practically a national motto.
Never mind that Trinidad previously allowed US military radar and exercises in Tobago. Never mind the US military buildup in the Caribbean Sea. Trinidad just wants everyone to know: they were sleeping when it happened.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration reaffirmed its “strong partnership” with Trinidad. Which is exactly what you tell someone after using their backyard to stage an operation they claim to know nothing about.
🇧🇧 Barbados Questions US Drug Vessel Strikes
Barbados’ Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds raised concerns about US military strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean, saying the actions “may have bypassed due process” and risk setting a “dangerous precedent.”
When Barbados — a country of 280,000 people — is lecturing the United States on due process, you know the regional temperature is rising. Amnesty International also warned that any airstrikes authorized by Congress could violate international human rights law.
The US response? More ships in the Caribbean Sea. Diplomacy at its finest.
🏏 West Indies Cricket: T20 World Cup Prep
Afghanistan and West Indies are tuning up for the T20 World Cup (kicking off February 7 in India and Sri Lanka) with a three-match T20I series in Dubai. The Windies need all the practice they can get — but at least the conditions in Dubai are “fairly comparable.”
Meanwhile, back home, the WND Park Series cycling season opened at the National Park despite heavy winds and rain. Briton John dominated for We Stand United. Caribbean sport doesn’t stop for weather.
🌊 Regional Roundup
Dominica launched “Glory in Paradise,” a new national gospel festival. Because if you can’t fix the economy, at least you can praise the Lord about it.
Grenada’s special 50-dollar banknote (issued for their 50th independence anniversary) can now be used across the entire Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. One country’s celebration is everyone’s legal tender.
St. Kitts arrested a former police chief for money laundering. When the police chief needs policing, who watches the watchmen?
Puerto Rico is searching for a US tourist lost in El Yunque rainforest. Pro tip: if the trail says “difficult,” believe it.
That’s your Caribbean Brief. The region stays turbulent, the US stays aggressive, and the Caribbean stays resilient. See you next time. 🌴
For Guyana-specific coverage, see today’s Daily Brief.