A new private sector-led ferry company, “Connect Caribe,” was launched in Barbados on Tuesday (23rd January, 2024), and is set to transform regional maritime transportation among Caribbean countries.
Upturn Funds Caribbean in collaboration with Pleion Group Incorporated unveiled the multi-million dollar joint-venture partnership, which it said has led to the establishment of the new company, “Connect Caribe.” Speaking at the launch held by stakeholders, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for the Caribbean region, Andre Thomas, said discussions are currently ongoing between regional leaders including this country’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and his Guyana and Barbados counterparts on the services offered by Caribe as well as the benefits attached. “We are in talks with the Governments...There is a significant discussion on how we can integrate and tackle this huge opportunity and problem. I believe that where there are problems, there are opportunities…so there will be significant collaboration between the service that will be done by the Governments and our service,” he said. Thomas said its services will be a game-changer in the transportation industry. He further noted that the three (3) proposed vessels will have the capacity to transport up to 8,000 passengers, cargo and manufactured goods and produce between the islands. Thomas noted that the service, scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2024, will offer weekly and daily round trips, linking Barbados with Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua, Suriname, and Guyana. He said specific focus is also being placed on the Barbados-Trinidad-Guyana route. Speaking about the fares, Thomas said, “A standard fare on our service would cost only US $100 plus whatever charges come from that particular Government. So for US $100, we want you to be able to move from Barbados to Trinidad.” Connect Caribe’s launch, however, comes approximately two (2) weeks after Prime Minister Rowley confirmed that his Government had earmarked the Galleons Passage vessel to connect Port-of-Spain with Bridgetown, Barbados and Georgetown, Guyana. The Prime Minister revealed that the decision was driven by a need to move raw materials and fresh produce from the producing areas to the consumption and manufacturing areas within this sub-zone of CARICOM. More on this as it becomes available. [Source: Loop]
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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is warning about the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses in the Region of the Americas, including the Caribbean.
According to PAHO, its epidemiological update provides “recommendations for maintaining surveillance of these viruses and strengthening health systems response, particularly given the current outbreaks of other communicable diseases.” PAHO said elevated levels of acute respiratory disease were recorded in the region in 2023, “driven by the circulation of SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV].” PAHO notes that the Northern Hemisphere is currently experiencing epidemics of all three (3) viruses expected in the Winter, while some countries in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing incidences higher than expected for the season, due to the circulation of SARS-CoV-2. The health body recommends that Member States maintain surveillance of respiratory viruses “to detect any changes in circulation or severity of disease; be prepared to respond to a possible increase in cases and hospitalizations; and continue efforts to increase vaccination against Influenza and COVID-19, particularly in vulnerable and high-risk populations.” PAHO is also urging regional countries to “keep healthcare systems prepared and alert at all levels in order to respond to a possible increase in outpatient cases and hospitalizations, especially coinciding with the epidemic period for other communicable diseases with high demand for care.” More on this as it becomes available. [Source: CNC3] On Thursday (14th December 2023), in Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, His Excellency Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and His Excellency Nicolas Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, held discussions on matters consequential to the territory in dispute between their two (2) countries.
These discussions were facilitated by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Pro-Tempore President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Dr. The Honourable Ralph E. Gonsalves, and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit. Prime Ministers Gonsalves and Skerrit, together with H.E. Mr. Celso Amorim, Special Adviser and Personal Envoy of H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, acted as principal Interlocutors. Also present were Honourable Prime Ministers of the Caribbean Community, namely: the Honourable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas; the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; the Honourable Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada; the Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia; Honourable Terrence Drew of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dr. The Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Attending as Observers on behalf of His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, were Their Excellencies Earle Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet of the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Miroslav Jenca, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Political and Peace-building Affairs. In addition, His Excellency Alvaro Leyva Durán, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia and Mr. Gerardo Torres Zelaya, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Honduras, in his capacity as CELAC Troika, also participated. All parties attending the meeting at Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, reiterated their commitment to Latin America and the Caribbean remaining a Zone of Peace. Guyana and Venezuela declared as follows:
More on this as it becomes available. According to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Prime Minister Keith Rowley will travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines today (Thursday 14th December 2023), where he will attend a meeting between the Presidents of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The OPM said earlier this week that the meeting was borne out of ongoing discussions and a decision taken at an Emergency CARICOM Virtual Meeting held last Friday 8th December 2023.
Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Hon. Stuart Young, will accompany Prime Minister Rowley. The OPM notes that Minister of Finance, the Hon. Colm Imbert, will act as Prime Minister in the interim. The meeting between the Presidents of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is scheduled to take place later today on matters related to the border dispute between the two (2) countries. Venezuela has been claiming the Essequibo county region in Guyana belongs to it, with President Nicolas Maduro announcing on Tuesday 5th December 2023 that a bill would be sent to the National Assembly for the creation of a “Guyana Esequiba” province, in a region Guyana has administered for over a century. More on this as it becomes available. UPDATE: Ravi B shared the following statement on his Instagram account: “Took me a good while to process and come to terms with this one. I'm lost for words. My basketball buddy. Who am I suppose to talk to now about Lebron games? Rest in peace my brother. Gonna really miss you. Condolences to the Drue family and to Patrice Roberts.” Antiguan Soca star Ricardo Drue has died. Drue, who was the lead singer of the A-Team Band, was found unresponsive in his room in Antigua this morning (Tuesday 12th December 2023). According to reports, he was rushed to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre after allegedly suffering a heart attack. He was subsequently pronounced dead around 12:00 PM. He was thirty-eight (38). Drue was living in Trinidad but was said to be visiting his family in Antigua at the time of his death. Senator the Honourable Randall Mitchell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, extended his “deepest condolences” in a Media Release today, to the family and friends of the beloved Soca artiste and songwriter. Antigua-born Drue, who was engaged to Soca superstar Patrice Roberts, was a frontline singer for the popular local A-Team Band and also performed with Imij and Co. and D'All Starz bands. He was well known for his Soca hits ‘VagaBond,’ ‘ID (Stamp Yuh Name)’ and ‘Professional.’ Minister Mitchell said he “affirms Drue's contribution to the local, regional and international cultural sectors.” He added, “The Soca fraternity and indeed the Carnival community have suffered a great loss with his passing. His years of work as an entertainer have undoubtedly helped to spread the Soca genre across the world and brought happiness to many. He certainly will not be forgotten.” The Media Release concluded by saying, “The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts sympathizes with the family, friends and loved ones of Ricardo Drue during this time. May his soul rest in peace.” Meanwhile, Drue’s fiancée, Patrice Roberts, has been receiving an outpouring of support following his untimely death. She posted a video of Drue and herself to her Instagram account with the caption, “I do anything to hear your voice...wake up!” Roberts was reportedly live on air on radio when she learnt of Drue's death. The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said this afternoon (Tuesday 12th December 2023) that Prime Minister Keith Rowley will attend the meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, scheduled to take place on Thursday (14th December 2023) between the Presidents of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on matters related to the border dispute between the two (2) countries.
The OPM said the meeting was borne out of ongoing discussions and a decision taken at an Emergency CARICOM Virtual Meeting held last Friday (8th December 2023). Venezuela has been claiming the Essequibo county region in Guyana belongs to it, with President Nicolas Maduro announcing on Tuesday 5th December 2023 that a bill would be sent to the National Assembly for the creation of a “Guyana Esequiba” province, in a region Guyana has administered for over a century. Maduro gave an ultimatum to oil companies working under concessions given by Guyana to withdraw their operations within three (3) months. Tensions between neighbors Venezuela and Guyana have ratcheted up in recent weeks over a long-running territorial dispute. At issue is a 160,000-square-km (62,000-square-mile) border territory around the Esequibo river, which is mostly jungle, and an offshore area where massive discoveries of oil and gas have been made. More on this as it becomes available. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) entered the second day of its search and rescue operation today (Thursday 7th December 2023), to locate one of its helicopters which went missing since 11:20 AM yesterday (Wednesday 6th December 2023). A Special Forces team was inserted into the area and arrived at the crash site, located in Essequibo county, about thirty (30) miles East of the border with Venezuela, at approximately 2:30 PM this afternoon.
The team's mission was to extract the seven (7) persons onboard, namely Brigadier (Ret'd) Gary Beaton, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Lieutenant Andio Crawford, Staff Sergeant Jason Khan, and Corporal Dwayne Jackson. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles was a veteran helicopter pilot of forty (40) years. However, at around 2:47 PM today, the team reported that there were only two (2) survivors: Lieutenant Andio Crawford and Corporal Wayne Jackson.
In a Media Release, the GDF said, “The Chief of Staff, Officers and Ranks of the Guyana Defence extends sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who perished. The Guyana Defence Force is committed to providing unwavering support to these families during this unprecedented and challenging period of mouning. These Officers have served and given excellent service in the defence of our country and will be duly recognized.”
The Bell 412 helicopter, bearing registration marking 8R-AYA, allegedly went down in bad weather on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, issued a statement today, confirming the five (5) deaths. According to Dr. Ali, “My heart pains and drowns in sorrow at the tragic loss of some of our finest men in uniform. The scale of this loss to the families, our country, the GDF and to me personally is immeasurable. My trusted friends and comrades, my brothers how could this be? You loved your country above and beyond everything. Country and service were all that matter to you. I observe with so much honor, the pride you took in putting on your uniform. We became a family bonded in service and brotherhood. I have experienced the love of all of you and it is ripping me apart.” The President added, “My bothers, I embrace your families as mine and will do as much as I can to represent all of you in service to country and family. On kneeling knees, I lift all of you and your families up in prayers and faith. I call upon all of us to hold these men, their families, the GDF and our country in our prayers. Rest in Peace my trusted friends. So many plans we had together. How could this be?” The statement concluded by saying, “Rest in eternal peace Brigadier Gary Beaton- Project Engineer, GOG; Colonel Michael Shahoud- Commander 1st Infantry Battalion; Lt Col Michael Charles- Pilot; Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome- Commanding Officer Reserve Battalion and Staff Sergeant Jason Khan- 31 Special Forces Squadron — you were among the finest we will ever have. I wish I was waiting for all of you to come home. With all my love until we meet again.” Investigations are continuing into the crash. More on this as it becomes available. [Source: CNC3] The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce said it is concerned about the recent events in the Guyana and Venezuela border dispute.
In a Media Release today (Wednesday 6th December 2023), the Chamber said, “Knowing that United Nations' International Court of Justice passed its ruling in favour of Guyana and that Venezuela held its referendum, should have signaled the need for urgent dialogue between both countries.” The statement added, “Our region has a rich history of co-operation and collaboration in the best interest of our people. We believe that CARICOM and other such actors must be involved to engage both countries and pave the way for discussions with the intention of ensuring the preservation of peace. The Essequibo region represents just over two-thirds of the geographic space and approximately 15% of the population of Guyana as a country.” The Media Release concluded by saying, “The advances by Venezuela are very concerning and unnerving and we hope that intervention by the relevant multilateral actors will allow for a speedy and amicable resolution.” Earlier today, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) announced that a search and rescue operation has been initiated in order to locate a missing Bell 412 Helicopter (8R-AYA), carrying three (3) crew members and four (4) passengers. More on this as it becomes available. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.
UPDATE: Besides Mike Charles, who was piloting the helicopter, the other six (6) persons onboard are Michael Shahaud, Gary Beaton, Shawn Welcome, Jason Khan, Andio Crawford, and Dwayne Johnson. The Army Chief stated that these men are “among our best.” The servicemen on the aircraft were heading to visit Guyanese troops near the Venezuelan border. The aircraft had landed at Olive Creek to refuel and shortly after takeoff, signal with the chopper was lost.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) announced today (Wednesday 6th December 2023) that a search and rescue operation has been initiated in order to locate a missing helicopter, carrying three (3) crew members and four (4) passengers.
In a brief statement, the GDF said that the operation is “impacted by adverse weather conditions” and that the Bell 412 Helicopter (8R-AYA) had departed Base Camp Ayanganna at 9:23 AM (local time). “The aircraft transmitted an Emergency Locator Transmitter signal at 11:20 hours, from coordinates approximately thirty (30) miles East of Arau on our Western borders.” The statement added that “further information will be provided as soon as they are made available.” According to media reports, the helicopter had gone missing in the Essequibo county region, and it was being piloted by veteran army pilot, Mike Charles. The helicopter is reported to have been shuttling from Ekereku to Olive Creek in Essequibo county, and that a search and rescue team aboard a SkyVan has been deployed to the area.
Venezuela has been claiming the Essequibo county region in Guyana belongs to it, with President Nicolas Maduro announcing on Tuesday (5th December 2023) that a bill would be sent to the National Assembly for the creation of a “Guyana Esequiba” province, in a region Guyana has administered for over a century.
Maduro gave an ultimatum to oil companies working under concessions given by Guyana to withdraw their operations within three (3) months.
According to Reuters, tensions between neighbors Venezuela and Guyana have ratcheted up in recent weeks over a long-running territorial dispute. At issue is a 160,000-square-km (62,000-square-mile) border territory around the Esequibo river, which is mostly jungle, and an offshore area where massive discoveries of oil and gas have been made.
Both countries claim ownership of the territory, which is sparsely populated and whose much-disputed border was agreed under a 1899 decision when Guyana was still part of the British Empire. Venezuela reactivated its claim to the territory in recent years after the finding of some 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil and gas off Guyana's coast. More on this as it becomes available. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. [Source: CNC3] On Friday (24th November 2023), Senator the Honourable Rohan Sinanan, Minister of Works and Transport, and His Excellency Charles Cooper, Minister of Traffic Transportation and Urban Planning of Curacao, signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in respect of Curacao.
In a Media Release on Friday, the Ministry of Works and Transport said this historic signing “signifies the culmination of bilateral negotiation, which began in 2015 and heralds a new era of connectivity, enabling seamless travel opportunities.” When in force, this Air Services Agreement will create avenues for Caribbean Airlines Limited, and Curacao's designated airlines to enhance their air services, facilitating more extensive commercial route development between the regions. This expansion includes routes with layovers and final destinations spanning key areas such as North and South America. Additionally, the Ministry said this development is set to foster economic growth, bolster tourism opportunities and enhance trade relations between the two (2) countries. Both signatories expressed great enthusiasm on the benefits to be derived from the signing of the Air Services Agreement. Senator the Honourable Rohan Sinanan, Minister of Works and Transport, commented that “this Agreement allows us to look forward to a future of strengthened ties, increased connectivity and mutual prosperity.” His Excellency, Charles Cooper, Minister of Traffic Transportation and Urban Planning, further reiterated that “the new treaty, which falls under the Open Skies category, aims to regulate aviation connections between Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago, providing the greatest operational and commercial freedom.” The Media Release concluded by saying, “It is anticipated that future Air Services Agreements will serve as a catalyst for greater commercial development that strengthens regionalism and international connections, which will ultimately benefit the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.” |
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