Pulse of the Caribbean

#115 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 2 Week of September 22

• Pulse of the Caribbean

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CARICOM takes center stage at the UN General Assembly with a robust agenda. Here are other stories making Caribbean headlines.

  • Venezuela's President Maduro's YouTube channel disappears amid rising tensions with the US
  • Barbados introduces Witness Anonymity Bill with innovative protections including speech modulation and physical barriers
  • Puerto Rico nonprofits receive $1.3 million to support homeless veterans through comprehensive services
  • Puerto Rico expects $11.8 million economic impact from upcoming basketball events and tournaments
  • Guyana launches "Brand Guyana Gondola" initiative to promote local products across Caribbean markets
  • British Virgin Islands successfully trademarks itself as the "World's Sailing Capital" for the next decade
  • Dominican Republic makes strategic push at France's Top Resa tourism expo to recapture European travelers

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Send news releases and information to news@pulseofthecaribbean.com.


Speaker 1:

This podcast is brought to you by Diamond Key Marina, yosemite, british Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. Welcome to the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 2 for the week of September 22nd. Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We start our report today at the United Nations with CARICOM, the Caribbean Community. Caricom will take part in a number of high-level meetings bilateral meetings, side events and the general debate at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is being held in New York. It began on Saturday, september 28, and concludes on Monday, september 29. The CARICOM Secretariat's delegation, led by Secretary General, dr Carla Burnett, and including Assistant Secretary General for Foreign and Community Relations, ms Elizabeth Solomon, will push for the region's goals on climate action, sustainable development, peace building and global health. They will also reaffirm their commitment to multilateral diplomacy. From September 23rd to 27th, heads of government will take part in the general debate. Suriname will lead the community in the General Assembly Hall anniversary of the United Nations and the high-level event on multilateral support systems hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto. Dr Barnett, secretary General, will attend a number of events. These include the signing of the UN Trade and Development, caricom MOU, a high-level meeting on Haiti, the first biannual summit for a sustainable, inclusive and resilient global economy, with the theme implementing commitments on financing development and high-level meetings on climate mobility, champions, non-communicable diseases and mental health. A roundtable discussion called Making the Case for Haiti was held on Monday. A few other events for CARICOM include the 24th Special Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, the EU CELAC Foreign Ministers Meeting and the Atlantic Council Global Citizens Awards.

Speaker 1:

In other news, the YouTube channel for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has disappeared from the site as tensions between Caracas and Washington rise. The Venezuelan national broadcaster Telesur reported the channel's shutdown on Friday. It can no longer be found in search results or accessed directly. The notice this page is unavailable replaces Maduro's channel. Youtube's parent company, us-based Google, hasn't commented on the removal. Youtube says accounts are removed for repeated violations such as misinformation, hate speech or interfering with democratic processes.

Speaker 1:

Our next stop is Barbados. Barbados. Criminal Proceedings Witness Anonymity Bill 2025 will allow courts to protect witness identities under certain instances. Here's how To avoid recognition. Witnesses can use speech modulation technologies. Here's how can be placed as physical barriers to hide witnesses from defendants and the public. Personal information such as name, address and contact details can be redacted from written evidence and the judge-only disclosure allows only the court and authorized parties to know real identity, not the jury or defense. Not the jury or defense. The Barbados Witness Anonymity Bill does not include relocation no-transcript.

Speaker 1:

Now we head to Puerto Rico. Two Puerto Rican nonprofits receive roughly $1.3 million from the US Department of Veteran Affairs to support homeless veterans. The money comes from $818 million in US Veteran Affairs grants given out through the Supportive Resource for Veteran Families program. The Society of St Vincent de Paul South Pinalias Inc received $650,000 to expand its services on the island. The Casa del Peregrino Aguadilla Inc received $623,921. And $23,921. Following a university poll that identified homelessness as Aguadilla's top social issue at 67%. Casa del Peregrino was formed in 1997. Volunteers and civic groups help distribute clothing, personal hygiene products and meals. The shelter now provides three meals a day. Drug and alcohol counseling and rehabilitation, referrals, showers, clothing, first aid and recreational activities are available. The shelter is opening a 20 bed emergency facility. It shelters 60 men and 26 women and reports that 70% are addicted to drugs, 13% to alcohol and 20650,000. Housing, counseling, health care, financial planning, child care, legal aid and transportation will be provided.

Speaker 1:

In other news from Puerto Rico, with the return of the National Basketball Association preseason and a qualifying tournament for the 2026 season and the Federation of International Basketball Women's Basketball World Cup pre-qualifying event. Puerto Rico expects $11.8 million in economic impact and over 4,300 hotel room nights. Officials say negotiations secure the Miami Heat versus Orlando Magic preseason game set for October 4, 2025 at the Jose Miguel Argyllot Coliseum and the March 11-17, 2026 Women's World Cup Qualification Tournament for the World Cup event in Germany. Lynette Robles, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, said that sports tourism is a major factor in tourism growth. Our next stop is Guyana. The Guyana Office for Investment, goinvest, the Guyana Marketing Corporation and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards all worked together to officially launch the brand Guyana Gondola at Massey Mega in Turkayen on Saturday. Now a permanent present at Massey stores Turkayen and Providence, the gondola displays a varied assortment of certified made in Guyana products for more than 20 local firms in Guyana. This program makes Guyanese goods more visible, opens up new markets and makes people more confident in the local companies. Goinvest said that it is prepared to begin negotiations with Massey for certified made-in-Guyana goods to be advertised in its regional stores. Goinvest noted that this extension will let Guyanese goods reach new markets in Trinidad and Tobago, barbados, st Lucia, st Vincent, jamaica and beyond. This will boost trade in the area and give Guyana's agro-processors and manufacturers more business options.

Speaker 1:

Massey is a corporation that manages and holds investments. It has three main investment portfolios. They are integrated retail gas products and motor and machines, as well as other lines of business. The Massey Group has been around since 1923 and has enterprises all around the Caribbean Basin, as well as in Columbia and South Florida, next up the British Virgin Islands' trademark sailing capital of the world. After this, thank you For Pulse of the Caribbean podcast, advertising or marketplace feature opportunities. Email biz B-I-Z at pulseofthecaribbeancom. Get your ads in front of our ever-expanding Caribbean and diaspora community. Contact us at biz B-I-Z at pulseofthecaribbeancom. Engage in networking and advertising with Pulse of the Caribbean. This is the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 2, for the week of September 22nd.

Speaker 1:

The British Virgin Islands has officially established itself as the world's top sailing destination, triumphantly winning three new trademarks that will boast its image as the capital of the world. The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board and Film Commission said that it has successfully registered the following under the Territory of the Virgin Islands Trademark Act 2013. The British Virgin Islands, the world's sailing capital. The British Virgin Islands are the Caribbean's sailing capital, without a doubt. And the British Virgin Islands are the Caribbean's sailing capital. Each of these trademarks will be officially registered for 10 years. Clive McCoy, the director of the British Virgin Islands Tourism, remarked that this was a big step forward for the territory's brand.

Speaker 1:

Yachting is still one of the British Virgin Islands' most important cultural traditions and a big part of its tourism economy. The region still shows off an identity that is closely connected to life on the water. Virgin still shows off an identity that is closely connected to life on the water, from world-class regattas to ute sailing programs and a lively beach culture. And here's our final note the Dominican Republic is ready to make a big splash at Topresa, france's biggest tourism expo France's biggest tourism expo. This is a hint that the country is aggressively trying to get back into the European travel industry and grow its share. On Monday, the Dominican Republic's tourism minister, david Collado, spoke with optimism about the country's largest ever delegation for the event, which included over 30 industry co-exhibitors ready to make their mark. Collado, who was in charge of the final preparations in Paris, stressed how important this year's participation was for strategy. He said we are laser focused on bringing back European tourists and it was very important for the Dominican Republic to be a partner country for this fair. This is where all the big tourism players come together, not just for France, but from all over the old continent. He hinted that significant agreements were coming up and that airlines, travel agencies and tour operators would all be signing contracts to bring more European tourists to the Caribbean destination. Tabarisa is one of Europe's three biggest tourism fairs, which runs from today, tuesday September 23rd, to Thursday September 25th.

Speaker 1:

This podcast has been brought to you by Diamond Key Marina Yosvendike, british Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. Have news and information you'd like to share with us? Send news releases to news at pulseofthecaribbeancom. This has been your Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode two for the week of September 22nd. Here's a special hello going out to our listeners in Guyana, nevada and Nigeria. Thanks for listening and do spread the word and share our podcast with others across the region and the diaspora. I'm Keisha Blyden. See you next time.

Speaker 2:

I'm Aisha Blyden. See you next time. Thank you in advance for choosing Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Roundup as your source for Caribbean-centered news.