Bajan Brief — Bajan Bugle, April 10, 2026

Bridgetown. Friday. The CARIFTA swimmers are home and the dengue numbers are not improving. Both things are true and one of them requires more urgency than it is receiving.

CARIFTA SWIMMERS RETURN

Trinidad and Tobago’s CARIFTA swim team landed at Piarco to a reception. Barbados’s own contingent had a creditable showing at the Games in Grenada. Across the region, the 53rd CARIFTA Games reminded everyone that the Caribbean produces competitive athletes at every age level with a fraction of the infrastructure budget that larger countries use to produce roughly equivalent results. This is either an argument for the talent of Caribbean youth or an indictment of how little we invest in it. It is probably both.

Bajan Brief — Miss Violet, April 10, 2026

Good morning. I am Miss Violet. I have been watching the news and I have several things to say about the state of Caribbean civic preparedness, sporting achievement, and mosquito policy. Please sit.

THE SWIMMERS EARNED THIS

I want to be clear that the CARIFTA swimmers did not land at Piarco to polite applause because they were expected to do well. They earned that reception through months of training in pools that are not always in ideal condition, with coaching that is not always funded at the level it deserves, representing countries that do not always have the national sports budgets to justify the results they somehow consistently produce. When we celebrate CARIFTA athletes we should celebrate them knowing the full cost of what they accomplished. That cost includes everything that was not provided and had to be overcome anyway.

Auntie Cheryl's Trinidad Update – Thursday, April 9, 2026

Auntie Cheryl’s Trinidad Update

Chaguanas, Trinidad | Thursday, April 9, 2026

Auntie Cheryl reads the Guardian over her morning tea. She has a lot of feelings about national affairs.

KAMLA GOING TO VENEZUELA AND AUNTIE CHERYL IS SUPPORTIVE

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that a diplomatic delegation will travel to Venezuela to secure T&T’s share of the cross-border gas resources. Auntie Cheryl says: about time. We have gas sitting right there under the sea and we can’t access it because of permit problems with the Americans. Now Kamla going to get it sorted. This is what leadership looks like. Auntie Cheryl has put on her good blouse in spirit.

Cousin Leroy's Jamaica Update – Thursday, April 9, 2026

Cousin Leroy’s Jamaica Update

The Bronx, New York | Thursday, April 9, 2026

Leroy reads the Jamaica Observer every morning in the break room at work. He has opinions.

GAS PRICES

They raise gas prices in Jamaica again. I see it on the Observer website this morning. Effective today. Every time I go back to visit, something cost more. Beef patty, bus fare, gas — everything. My cousin in May Pen texted me and said the coaster bus already announce a new fare. I said to him, they don’t waste time. He said the driver announce it before the government even put out a press release. That is efficiency.

Miss Violet's Barbados Bulletin – Thursday, April 9, 2026

Miss Violet’s Barbados Bulletin

Brooklyn, New York | Thursday, April 9, 2026

Miss Violet taught civics at a secondary school in St Michael for twenty-two years before she retired to Brooklyn. She reads the Barbados Today every morning. She has expectations.

THE HERITAGE SITUATION

Minister Prescod is correct that Barbados children need to know their history better. Miss Violet has been saying this for thirty years. The curriculum was insufficient when she was teaching it and she has no reason to believe it has improved in the years since she left. You cannot build a nation on people who do not know where they come from. Miss Violet taught Form Three students who could not name a single person from the 1937 labour uprising. This was unacceptable then. The Minister is now saying it publicly. Progress, at whatever pace.

The Bajan Bugle – Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Bajan Bugle

Bridgetown, Barbados | Thursday, April 9, 2026

The news from the island that runs things, whether or not anyone admits it.

PRESCOD: THIS ISLAND IS FORGETTING ITS HERITAGE

Minister for Pan-African Affairs and Heritage Trevor Prescod has renewed calls for stronger history education in Barbados schools, warning that the island risks losing touch with its identity by teaching generations too little about their own past. The Minister’s concern is noted. Whether the curriculum will change, and how quickly, is the bureaucratic question. Barbados has a remarkable history. It would be a shame if the people who live here had to learn it from a podcast.

The Trini Dispatch – Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Trini Dispatch

Port of Spain, Trinidad | Thursday, April 9, 2026

The news from the twin islands. Delivered dry.

KAMLA IS GOING TO VENEZUELA FOR GAS

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced Wednesday that a diplomatic delegation will travel to Venezuela soon to secure Trinidad and Tobago’s “just share” of cross-border oil and gas resources. This is a renewed push to advance the Dragon and other stalled cross-border energy projects, which were frozen when the Trump administration revoked OFAC licences earlier last year. The Hormuz crisis has made this conversation considerably more urgent. T&T’s energy sector is running on mature fields and optimism. The Venezuela gas situation represents either a breakthrough or an extended diplomatic exercise, depending on how Caracas is feeling that week. Kamla is going to find out.

The Yard Report – Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Yard Report

Kingston, Jamaica | Thursday, April 9, 2026

News from the rock. Unfiltered.

GAS GOING UP. AGAIN.

Effective today, Thursday April 9, gasoline prices at the pump are going up. The latest ex-refinery figures confirm the increase. Nobody is happy about this. The relevant minister will explain it in terms of global market conditions, the Strait of Hormuz, and forces beyond anyone’s control. Motorists on Washington Boulevard will explain it in other terms, none of which are printable. The price of a coaster bus fare will adjust by next week. The price of a beef patty will follow shortly thereafter. This is the cycle.

Caribbean Daily Brief – April 8, 2026

Good Wednesday, Caribbean. The World Bank has issued its regional economic update and the news is, as the Bank likes to say, “mixed.” Translation: some of you are fine, some of you are not, and Guyana is in a different report entirely.

THE NUMBERS

The World Bank projects 2.1 percent growth for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2026, down from 2.4 percent last year. Highlights for the region:

• Barbados: 2.7 percent this year, 3.0 next. Solid.
• Jamaica: minus one percent this year, 3.2 percent next. This is the economic equivalent of a bad quarter being followed by optimism about the next quarter, which is what economists say when they have nothing more useful to offer.
• Guyana: 16.3 percent this year. 23.5 percent in 2027. We’ve mentioned this. We’re not going to stop mentioning it.
• T&T: Not in the headlines on growth, but very much in the headlines on gas.

TRINIDAD GOING TO VENEZUELA TO GET ITS GAS BACK

Miss Violet's Barbados Bulletin – April 8, 2026

Good morning, children. Miss Violet here. Pull up a chair. There is a great deal to cover and I will not be rushing.

ON THE WORLD BANK REPORT

The World Bank has released its Caribbean Economic Update. Barbados is projected to grow 2.7 percent this year and 3.0 percent next. This is respectable. This reflects sound monetary management, a stable tourism sector, and a government that has, on balance, not made things dramatically worse. We do not celebrate mediocrity, but we do acknowledge competence where it exists.

The Bajan Bugle – April 8, 2026

Good morning from Barbados, where the World Bank has confirmed that this island is growing at 2.7 percent this year and will grow at 3.0 percent in 2027. This is not spectacular. It is also not minus one percent, which is what Jamaica is doing this year. We note the distinction without gloating. The distinction speaks for itself.

THE WORLD BANK REPORT

The World Bank’s latest Caribbean Economic Update projects 2.1 percent growth for the Latin America and Caribbean region, below the 2.4 percent of 2025. The report cites “high borrowing costs, weak external demand, and inflationary pressures from geopolitical uncertainty.” It is a thorough document and largely confirms what anyone with a utility bill already knew.

Caribbean Brief – Sunday, April 6, 2026

Your weekly look at what’s moving across the Caribbean — beyond Guyana’s borders.

CARICOM RALLIES BEHIND CUBA AS US BLOCKADE BITES

CARICOM governments are stepping up support for Cuba as the US economic blockade continues to squeeze the island. CARICOM Chairman Dr. Terrance Drew confirmed at the bloc’s 50th Regular Meeting that humanitarian aid — including solar panels, baby food, rice, flour, basic medical supplies, and water tanks — is being coordinated through the regional secretariat in Guyana. St. Kitts and Nevis has pledged $500,000, with the first $100,000 already deposited. Drew framed it simply: “Cuba has never turned its back on the Caribbean. We will not turn our backs on Cuba.” The first shipment dates are expected to be confirmed this week.

Caribbean Brief – Friday, April 3, 2026

The Guyana Daily Brief looks across the Caribbean on this Good Friday. The region has a lot to reflect on.

TRUMP TARIFFS LAND ON THE CARIBBEAN — 10% BASELINE, 38% FOR GUYANA

The most significant economic story across the entire Caribbean this week: President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs effective April 5, with a 10% baseline imposed on most Caribbean nations and a punishing 38% on Guyana. The tariffs are framed as “reciprocal” under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, targeting countries with trade imbalances with the United States.

Caribbean Brief – Thursday, April 2, 2026

The Guyana Daily Brief surveys the wider Caribbean. The region never sleeps.

JAMAICA: ENTERING WORLD CUP PLAYOFF AS FAVOURITES

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz enter the inter-confederation World Cup playoff as favourites following the appointment of a new head coach. The Boyz will face New Caledonia for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup — their first appearance since 1998. With Haiti already qualified outright, the Caribbean Football Union is having an historic qualification cycle. Jamaica’s football public is cautiously optimistic, which for Jamaican football fans is essentially unbridled euphoria.

Caribbean Brief – Wednesday, April 1, 2026

The Guyana Daily Brief extends its gaze across the Caribbean. The region is complicated. We try to keep up.

TRINIDAD: NURSES WALKING SLOW, MANAGEMENT MOVING SLOWER

A sick-out by nurses at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Trinidad has entered an extended standoff. The Trinidad and Tobago National Nurses Association says the action will end if management simply speaks to nurses “respectfully.” Management has not done this. Former medical director Dr. Anand Chatoor­goon is urging nurses to reflect on compassion and duty. The nurses, one presumes, are reflecting on being talked down to and underpaid simultaneously. Meanwhile, the public is reflecting on how long emergency waits are getting.

Caribbean Brief — Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Good morning from the region. The world is on fire — quite literally, given developments in the Strait of Hormuz — and the Caribbean is watching carefully, because oil prices affect everyone down here and not everyone has Guyana’s luck.

Here is your Tuesday Caribbean briefing.

THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS IS NOW A CARIBBEAN PROBLEM

The US-Israeli war with Iran has entered its second month, and the ripple effects are landing in the Caribbean harder than most headlines acknowledge.

Caribbean Daily Brief — Wednesday, March 19, 2026

Your weekly satirical roundup of news from across the Caribbean — because the whole region deserves coverage, not just one country 🌴

🇯🇲 JAMAICA: Gas Up, Telecom Still Down, and the NHF Spent Billions on Obesity

Jamaican motorists woke up Thursday to gasoline at $170.83 per litre — up $4.50 at the pump, courtesy of Petrojam’s latest ex-refinery price adjustment. The Middle East oil surge is being felt from Kingston to Westmoreland, and in Westmoreland they have enough other problems. Five months after Hurricane Melissa, residents are still describing conditions there as “hellish” — patchy mobile service, spotty internet, and a general sense that the rest of the country moved on while they were still bailing out. Digicel says towers will be fully restored by end of April. Residents have heard this before.

🌴 Caribbean Daily Brief – Tuesday, February 17, 2026

US blows up another boat in the Caribbean (133 dead now). Iran-US nuclear talks show progress in Geneva. Barbados FM challenges US due process. Mottley pushes electoral reform. Jamaica’s students stranded in Cuba. Aer Lingus launches first direct Caribbean flights.

Caribbean Brief: Carnival Tuesday Approaches, Barbados Cabinet Sworn In, and Maduro Pleads Not Guilty in New York

Good morning, Caribbean! 🌴

Carnival Tuesday is tomorrow in Trinidad, Barbados has a brand new cabinet, Maduro pleaded not guilty in New York, and the US is making it harder for Caribbean nationals to visit. Your Monday regional roundup.

🎭 Trinidad: J’ouvert Done, Parade of the Bands Tomorrow

Carnival Monday is winding down in Trinidad after a J’ouvert that started before dawn and a full day of revelry through Port of Spain, Tunapuna, and beyond. Police confiscated an impressive collection of weapons during early morning exercises — because some people apparently think Carnival is a medieval tournament.

Caribbean Brief: Trinidad Carnival Monday Madness, Barbados Swears In a Government, and Cuba Can't Catch a Break

Good morning, Caribbean! 🌴

It’s Carnival Monday in Trinidad, election aftermath in Barbados, and Cuba is still trying to keep the lights on. Your weekly regional roundup of who’s partying, who’s governing, and who’s wondering where the fuel went.

🎭 Trinidad Carnival Monday — J’ouvert in Full Swing

It’s Carnival Monday in Trinidad and the streets of Tunapuna are packed with revellers covered in paint, mud, and questionable life decisions. J’ouvert started before dawn and will not stop until Trinidad collectively decides it’s had enough — which historically takes about 48 hours.