🌴 Good Morning, Caribbean!
Welcome to Wednesday, February 11, 2026 — the day Barbados decides if Mia Mottley gets a historic third term, Cuba tells state workers to stay home on Fridays because there’s no fuel, Jamaica is still recovering from an earthquake that had Kingston residents jumping out of bed, and Trinidad is counting down to Carnival like children counting down to Christmas.
Let’s island-hop! 🏝️
📊 REGIONAL NUMBERS
| Stat | Country | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 271,205 | Barbados | Registered voters heading to polls TODAY |
| 30 | Barbados | Constituencies being contested |
| 4 days | Cuba | New government work week (fuel crisis) |
| 5.0 | Jamaica | Earthquake magnitude (Feb 10) |
| 5 days | Trinidad | Until Carnival Monday & Tuesday |
| $1.9B EC | St. Vincent | National budget for 2026 |
🗳️ BARBADOS: Election Day Is HERE
This is the big one. Barbadians are at the polls RIGHT NOW.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) are seeking a historic third consecutive term. She swept all 30 seats in 2018, kept 20 in 2022, and now faces a reinvigorated Democratic Labour Party (DLP) that smells blood.
Polling stations opened at 6:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM. Early reports say turnout is steady with long lines at several stations. The CARICOM Election Observation Mission is on the ground. Commonwealth observers deployed.
Mottley called the election early — it wasn’t due until 2027. She says geopolitical tensions and security concerns prompted her decision. Critics say she wants to lock in another term before the economy gets rougher.
The DLP made their final appeal at a Haggatt Hall rally last night. The Force of Destiny (FOD) party is also contesting, promising “a Barbados voters want.”
By tonight, we’ll know if Mottley made history or made a miscalculation.
Sources: CBC Barbados, WIC News, CNW Network
🇨🇺 CUBA: Four-Day Work Week (But Not the Fun Kind)
Cuba just adopted a four-day work week for state-owned companies. Before you get jealous — this isn’t progressive labour policy. This is desperation.
The country is in a crippling energy crisis made worse by US sanctions. Deputy PM Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga blamed Washington and announced emergency fuel restrictions alongside the shortened work week.
Airlines can no longer refuel on the island. Some carriers are routing through the Dominican Republic instead. Jamaica and the Cayman Islands could theoretically offer refueling stops, but nobody wants to get on the wrong side of the Trump administration.
Cuba’s President Díaz-Canel says he’s open to dialogue with the US — “but without pressure.” Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, Guyana quietly ended its own Cuba medical cooperation agreement. Health Minister Anthony says Cuban doctors now come independently. The timing is… convenient.
Sources: Jamaica Observer, eTurboNews, Kaieteur News
🇯🇲 JAMAICA: Earth Moves, Literally
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 84km east of Kingston early Tuesday morning. The quake hit at a shallow depth of 10km, making it felt across the island and into Cuba.
Over 100 people reported feeling it. No significant damage or casualties reported, but Kingston residents describe being jolted awake. The Earthquake Unit at UWI Mona confirmed it was the strongest quake near Jamaica in months.
Jamaica sits on an active fault zone and gets a magnitude 5+ earthquake roughly every 6-7 years on average. The last really big one was the 7.7 in 2020 that rattled the entire Caribbean.
In other Jamaica news: Parliament is expected to approve amendments to the Income Tax Act this week, and the Legal Aid Council reports 90% of legal aid cases are being resolved.
Sources: Volcano Discovery, Jamaica Observer
🇹🇹 TRINIDAD: Carnival Countdown — 5 Days!
Trinidad Carnival 2026 is February 16-17 and the island is in full preparation mode.
Panorama steelpan competition is heating up. Soca Monarch contenders are making final rehearsals. J’ouvert planning is in full swing. Mas bands have launched their costume collections — Xodus with “OLYMPIX,” GenXS with “INFINITI,” and YardMas with “Galleria.”
Eleven-year-old Janaya Clark won the National Junior Calypso Monarch competition at Queen’s Park Savannah. The next generation of calypsonians is READY.
The energy sector continues to be a bright spot — Trinidad hosted Energy Week recently and tourism numbers are up 17% year-over-year.
If you’re heading to Port of Spain this weekend, pack light and hydrate heavy. It’s going to be a long, beautiful, exhausting two days.
Sources: CBC, Caribbean Carnival Dates, CNW Network
🌊 REGIONAL ROUNDUP
- St. Vincent & the Grenadines: PM Godwin Friday unveiled a $1.9 billion EC national budget for 2026.
- Bahamas: Afreximbank providing multi-million dollar facility to a Bahamian company.
- Venezuela: Opposition figure placed under house arrest. Interim government tensions with Washington escalating.
- Caribbean Tourism: Record 2025 numbers across the region. Guyana selected to host CTO’s flagship conference (SOTIC) in October 2026.
- CARICOM: Border disputes remain hot — Guyana-Venezuela, Belize-Guatemala, Trinidad-Barbados maritime boundaries all unresolved.
- West Indies Cricket: T20 World Cup continues. Hetmyer and Shepherd leading the charge. Group C leaders face England next.
🎯 WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Barbados General Election results | Barbados |
| Feb 14 | Valentine’s Day fetes across the Caribbean | Everywhere |
| Feb 15-18 | St. Lucia Carnival | Castries |
| Feb 16-17 | Trinidad Carnival | Port of Spain |
| This week | Budget debates continue | Guyana Parliament |
That’s your Caribbean Wednesday. Eyes on Barbados tonight — results should start coming in after 6 PM. Stay connected, stay Caribbean. 🌴
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