Pulse of the Caribbean

#144 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 2 Week of November 17

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Leaders across the Caribbean move from tension to cooperation as diplomacy, trade relief, security coordination, climate resilience, and infrastructure plans take shape. Here’s a look at what’s making Caribbean headlines.

  • Venezuela’s Maduro Ready to Speak With US 
  • Regional Enforcement and Justice Leaders Meet In Summit targeting gangs and drug trafficking
  • CARICOM Private Sector Reacts to US Tariff Removal
  • US Virgin Islands Port Authority Secures Property to Redevelopment Crown Bay Cruise with Royal Caribbean
  • Antigua and Barbuda Included in UN Early Warning Global Project
  • Taiwan Donates Electric Bus to St Kitts and Nevis
  • Barbadian Named One of the World's 500 Most Influential Muslims

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SPEAKER_00:

This podcast is 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. To reserve more into Diamond Key, visit Botiball.com. Welcome to the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode two for the week of November 17th. Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We start a report today in Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has offered to meet with U.S. government representatives as tensions rise following the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group in the Caribbean. Venezuela requested official talks, Maduro stated on his weekly show Con Maduro on November 17th, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would meet with him. Trump suggested he will be open to meeting with Maduro, saying, I talk to everybody. Those who want to speak with Venezuela will speak face to face, Maduro said. He added, we reaffirm what the UN Charter, our Constitution, and our people say. Only through diplomacy should free nations understand each other. Governments must seek common ground on mutual interests only through dialogue. On November 3rd, the US State Department intended to designate Cartel de lesolos as a foreign terrorist organization. The State Department stated it would take effect on november twenty fourth, but not immediately. Trump has claimed Maduro leads the cartel. Now we head to Saint Lucia. Law enforcement and judiciary from across the Eastern Caribbean met in St. Lucia to improve regional collaboration and tactics to dismantle organized gangs and worldwide drug trafficking. From november thirteenth to fourteenth, 2025, the French Embassy to Barbados and the OECS Organization of Eastern Caribbean States organized the high-level seminar, Gangs of the Eastern Caribbean and their involvement in international drug trafficking. Over 120 respected attorney generals, judges, magistrates, top police, and John Domery officers, intelligence officials, and correctional institutional representatives attended. The 11 Caribbean nations represented include Antigua and Barbuda, Sin Kitsinevas, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Martin, Jamaica, Mainland, France, and Croatia. An in-depth discussion on legal frameworks and practices was held to develop a regional approach to combating increasingly structured transnational criminal groupings. Our next stop is CARICOM. CARICOM, private sector organization, welcomes the U.S. decision to remove tariffs on key CARICOM export sectors, relieving regional industries affected by reciprocal tariffs implemented in April 2025 and updated by the United States in August 2025. The reciprocal duties were expected to cost CARICOM member states 653.6 million US dollars in export revenues annually, with base metals, agriculture and food, and chemical industries being most affected. CARICOM private sector organization CEO and technical director, Dr. Patrick Anton said CARICOM heads of government coordinated advocacy to remove reciprocal tariffs. CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Dr. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamala Prasad by Sassar, President of the Corporative Republic of Guyana, Dr. Mohammed Ephraim Ali, and Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, were urging their U.S. counterparts to address tariffs harming agriculture, chemicals, and other key exports. Averture and food and chemicals were the hardest hit by reciprocal tariffs, with the CARICOM private sector organization study estimating annual export revenue losses of$117.7 million for agriculture and$86.1 U.S. million dollars for chemicals, including fertilizers and other industrial inputs. U.S. President Donald Trump's November 14, 2025 executive order eliminates reciprocal tariffs and reverses America first trade rates. Now here's news from Antigua and Barbuda. Last week, high-level stakeholders in Antigua and Barbuda were briefed on their readiness and participation in the 12.5 million US dollar early warning for all project. Green Climate Fund, the largest global climate change fund, funds the initiative which the United Nations Development Program is implementing. An effective system that educates, warns, and protects various people against climate and weather threats is its goal. Hazard risk coordination and governance, knowledge detection, observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting. Warning distribution, communication, and preparedness and response skills comprise the project. The project will be implemented with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Telecommunications Union, and the World Meteorological Organization. And TGA Barbuda is one of seven other countries to benefit from the Early Warning for All global project. Upon funding, funders, United Nations agencies, and stakeholders will meet in February 2026 to officially launch the project. Now here's news from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lawmakers in the U.S. Virgin Islands strongly supported bill number 36-0138, which transfers sub base real property on St. Thomas to the U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority for the Crown Bay District Redevelopment Project. The Virgin Islands Port Authority plans to revitalize St. Thomas's cruise infrastructure using the Sub Base site. A new Crown Bay Village, a day resort for cruise passengers, stayover guests, and locals, and a third St. Thomas berth is expected to make Sub Base an exciting new tourist attraction. U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority Director Carlton Dow anticipates the redevelopment to make St. Thomas the premier cruise ship destination in the Caribbean, offering fresh activities for passengers. This$200 million project is expected to take five years to complete. The U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority is working with Royal Caribbean Group and Cruise Terminals International on the project. Next up, Taiwan donates electric buses to Sinkitz and Nevis after this. This is the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, Episode 2 for the week of November 17th. Primetron E Energy Technology Corporation, a renowned Taiwanese electric vehicle manufacturer, gave two cutting-edge electric buses to Sinkitz and Nevis. The grant advances the Federation's sustainable island state agenda and clean, modern, and accessibility transportation. Sink Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terence Drew and his delegation toured the vehicle on November 17th on their official visit to the Republic of China, Taiwan. After negotiations with Tron E's president and vice president, who expressed their desire to strengthen technical cooperation with the Federation, the buses were given to the government. The Prime Minister thanked Tron E Energy Technology Corporation and the government and people of the Republic of China, Taiwan for their meaningful cooperation and donation, saying the buses will transport the elderly and children to a society's most vulnerable sectors. Tron E Energy Technology Corporation created and engineered the donated Selectron buses. Asia, the United States, and other regions adopting low emission transportation systems use them extensively. Prime Minister Drew emphasized that the buses support the sustainable island state agenda, which promotes renewable energy, climate smart infrastructure, and sustainable mobility. In early 2026, the Federation will receive the buses for progressive integration into community and social support transportation services. And here's our final note. The 2026 Muslim 500 named Barbados's community organizer, Suleiman Boubilia, one of the world's 500 most influential Muslims, demonstrating Barbados's expanding religious faith and leadership status. The Muslim 500 is published annually by the independent non-secretariat Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Amman, Jordan. Muslim 500 celebrates outstanding Islamic contributors globally. The Caribbean's Bulbilia and Guyana's President Mohammed Ifram Ali are being added in 2026. Bulbilia, a corporate and community leader with 30 years of expertise in management and international relations, has pushed Barbados's socioeconomic interests abroad. He is noted for his global political and social understanding and cross-cultural corporation. Bulbilia is the former Barbados Muslim Association Secretary. He currently chairs the Barbados National Noncommunicable Diseases Commission, and he also writes for Barbados Today. 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. To reserve moorings at Diamond Key, visit Boteball.com. This has been your pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, Episode 2 for the week of November seventeenth. Here's a special greeting going out to our listeners in Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, Nevada, New Jersey, Germany, and Spain. Thanks for listening, and do spread the word and share a podcast with others across the region and the diaspora. I'm Keisha Blyden. See you next time.

SPEAKER_01:

For more Caribbean news stories and information, visit us online at pulsofthecaribbean.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.