Pulse of the Caribbean

#141 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 3 Week of November 10

• Pulse of the Caribbean

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Each story matters and has impact on travel, business, and daily life in the region. Here are some of the stories making Caribbean headlines.

  • U.S. Military Buildup in Caribbean Continues as UK Suspends Intelligence and Venezuela Responds
  • U.S. Visa Backlogs Impacting Travel for Caribbean Nationals
  • Dominican Republic Airport Make Major Investments for Upgrades and Connectivity
  • Beacon and General Accident Insurance Consolidate Across Multiple Islands
  • Credit Card Donations Serve As Major Pipeline for Jamaica’s Official Disaster Relief 
  • St. Lucia Cruise Port Wins Caribbean Shipping Association Award 

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SPEAKER_02:

This podcast is brought to you by The Touch Shop, located in downtown St. Thomas, featuring the best local island cuisine like no other, and Diamond Key Marina, Yosvendike, British Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's taboo and gateway to the bubbly pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. To reserve moorings at Diamond Key, visit BowTall.com. Welcome to the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, Episode 3 for the week of November 10th. Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We saw a report today with a look at the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. The U.S. South Command announced the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Caribbean on Tuesday. Over 4,000 sailors are on the USS Gerald R. Ford, which now leads the U.S. military group in the region. The announcement signifies the world's largest aircraft carrier will launch and recover fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck for assigned operations. Rising worldwide skepticism has strained relations with a crucial ally, despite the Trump administration's claim that its bombing targeting vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific are legally valid. Now we take a look at U.S. visa delays. Long U.S. visa delays and new travel restrictions in 2025 have affected Barbados, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and Mexico. Strong demand and insufficient staff at U.S. counselates is causing backlog. It takes some tourists almost a year to secure an interview, now causing many business travelers, vacationers, and students to change or cancel their plans. As reported by Travel and Tour World, due to high demand and limited staff, first-time visitor visa applicants in Mexico are waiting up to 458 days for interviews. The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica reports appointment delays of six months or more. In the Dominican Republic, wait periods can be as lengthy as 11 months or more. For the Bahamas, applicants must schedule interviews within 365 days after payment. In Trinidad and Tobago, the embassy promptly returns passports within a week. However, interview dates are limited. Therefore, booking early is recommended. Barbados has reduced wait times about 36 days. However, travelers should apply as soon as possible due to additional checks. For other islands such as St. Lucia, Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda, it is reported that visa backlogs are 60 to 150 days. For more information, regional applicants for U.S. visas are advised to check embassy web pages often and plan ahead, as high demand and counselor staff shortages have caused major U.S. visa delays in the Caribbean. In other travel news from the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinadier announced that the Dominican Republic government will invest 700 million US dollars in airport infrastructure between 2025 and 2026, with the Cabo Rojo International Airport in Paranales scheduled to open in June 2026. The investment plan for the airport department involves significant upgrades to important terminals, according to Executive Director Victor Pichardo. Puntacana International Airport will expand its logistics center and open Terminal B, while Cobo International Airport will receive$300 million for a new terminal and runway extensions that can accommodate wide-body aircraft, improving air connectivity with Europe. Pichardo announced a$110 million investment in Las Americas International Airport for 2026, including 70 million US dollars for a new terminal. Pichardo said the Dominican Republic's airport system is being transformed with the necessary investments to ensure optimal infrastructure, greater connectivity, and improve passenger comfort. Now we look at a major insurance merger in the region. Beacon will become a general accident subsidiary after this transaction, pending regulatory approval. This acquisition will boost General Accident's market share in Trinidad and Barbados and expand into Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. General Accident has gross written premiums above$32 billion Jamaican dollars yearly, demonstrating its growing impact. Beacon will remain an independent as a subsidiary of General Accident and continue operating under its Trinidad and Barbados names, according to the announcement. Next up, credit card donations to Jamaica's government official disaster relief site helping recovery. After this.gov.jm surpass 1.08 million US dollars and 53.2 million Jamaican dollars. Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, announced us at a special press briefing at Jamaica House on Tuesday. The minister said 40 bilateral partners had offered Jamaica aid after Category 5, Hurricane Melissa. She said, We appreciate every country and bilateral partner. The Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Ministry has coordinated everything well. 31 have donated, while others are accelerating their donations, Dr. Morris Dixon added. And here's our final note. St. Lucia's Air and Sea Ports Authority said St. Lucia's Cruise Port won the Caribbean Shipping Association's Nathan Dundas Cruise Port of the Year Award for 2024. The Castries Cruise Terminals operational expansion, innovation, and sustainability have made it one of the region's top cruise destinations. The award was given at the 55th Caribbean Shipping Association's annual general meeting, conference, and exhibition in Suriname. Caribbean ports that excel in cruise operations, efficiency, innovation, and sustainable development get the Nathan Dundas Award, named after the late Caribbean Shipping Association's vice president. This podcast has been brought to you by The Touch Shop, located in downtown St. Thomas, featuring the best of local island cuisine like no other, and Diamond Key Marina, Yosvendike, British Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden jam. To reserve moorings at Diamond Key, visit Botiball.com. This has been your pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode three for the week of November 10th. Here's a special greeting to our listeners in the Turks and Caicos, the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Argentina, Illinois, Switzerland, and Israel. 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.

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For more Caribbean news stories and information, visit us online at pulsofhecaribbean.com. If you found value in this podcast, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And thank you in advance for choosing Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Roundup as your source for Caribbean centered news.