Black Immigrant Daily News

American Airlines has extended its “sincerest apology” to Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, and his St Vincent and the Grenadines counterpart, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, after they became the latest high-level officials to fall victim to the airline’s policy on leaving Guyana earlier this month.

The Guyana Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the airline had refused to allow the two prime ministers, who were in Georgetown attending the 2023 International Energy Conference and Expo, to check-in through the VIP Lounge at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The Foreign Ministry said the Guyana government had previously protested this position taken by American Airlines against its own high and senior government officials, but without success.

In separate February 20 letters sent to the two prime ministers, American Airlines Managing Director, International Government Affairs, Robert Wirick, offered his “sincerest apology for not proactively approving the request for expedited treatment and the inconvenience caused during your departure from Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

“We sincerely regret that we fell short of your expectations while travelling from Guyana to Miami to connect on a flight to The Bahamas for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit,” he wrote.

“American greatly treasures the relationship with you and the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. We will strive to ensure that all of your future travels on our airline are pleasant and exceed your expectations. American prides itself on delivering a high level of respect and service that our customers deserve. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns,” Wirick said in the letter.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Gonsalves told radio listeners in his homeland that he is not one to be “easily offended and disrespected” and that “first of all, nobody forced me to do anything”.

He recalled that both he and Rowley were inside the VIP lounge “early” on the morning of their departure.

“I think it was (as) we are going to Miami and then to Bahamas and the Chief of Protocol came and said that the people who are doing the check in at AA requested that we come there so that they could identify the face to the passport. That’s what I understand. So I said, ‘Fine. Keith, let’s go.’

Gonsalves said that they stood a short distance from the counter and after being told that the protocol details had been completed he left the area.

“Nobody asked anything. I just put up, Keith and I, we stood up talking. Nobody asked us anything. So I thought (what) was required was just a visual identification.

“The only inconvenience for me is that I was drinking a cup of black coffee earlier that morning. That by the time I got back it was cold and just had to get another one. I mean I understand the government of Guyana has some problems there because of how AA deal with it and could understand the government of Guyana raising it from the standpoint of how heads of government may be treated or whoever.

“I don’t know the whole history. I understand there’s something there but it’s the first time that I was ever requested by AA anywhere to come and turn up at the counter when I travel as Prime Minister,” Gonsalves said.

While he agreed what occurred in Guyana was “unusual”, Gonsalves said he wanted to make it clear that “I am not knocking the Guyana government. I am saying they have their history with them and there’s an issue which they’re taken up … to clarify, but I personally, as Ralph, was no sweat off my nose”.

 

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Prime Minister Phillip Davis says while Bahamians are “a compassionate people” they cannot afford to “shoulder any more burdens” as he reiterated Nassau’s position regarding illegal migration as well as the ongoing situation in the neighbouring French-country of Haiti.

In a nationwide radio and television broadcast on Sunday night in which he addressed a wide range of issues including the just concluded 44th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit that was held here, Prime Minister Davis announced the launch of “Operation Secure,” a collaborative security operation between the Royal Bahamas Police Force, The Defence Force, and the Department of Immigration, to address security and migration-related issues in unregulated and unlawful communities.

He told the nation that stabilising the situation in Haiti, where efforts are being made to hold long overdue Presidential and Legislative elections, is the most effective way to decrease the amount of potential economic migrants coming to here daily.

CARICOM leaders at the end of their summit last Friday issued a statement on Haiti reiterating that the 15-member regional integration grouping must play a leadership role in addressing the deteriorating situation in Haiti.

“Heads affirmed that decisive action is needed at the earliest opportunity by CARICOM in view of the mounting insecurity and its widespread impact on all facets of Haitian life,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Davis, who is also the CARICOM chairman, told Bahamians that he has been “very clear with our international friends that assistance to Haiti must be carried out carefully and strategically, and with an acknowledgement of the burden The Bahamas is already carrying, and has been carrying for decades.

“Our country has been through a lot. We have very serious challenges and limited resources with which to face these challenges. We are a compassionate people, but we cannot take on new burdens,” he said defending again his decision not to sign a pledge at the Summit of Americas last year that included a commitment to take on refugees.

Davis said while 21 other countries including Caribbean nations like Barbados and Jamaica, signed on to this agreement, he declined because “our small nation cannot possibly shoulder any more of a burden.

“We are standing strong on this position. Despite pressure, earlier this year, when the United Nations called for countries in our region to halt deportations to Haiti, once again, I decided to continue repatriations.

“This is a decision I made for the benefit of all Bahamians and future generations of Bahamians. The Bahamas is for Bahamians, and for those who are prepared to follow the laws of our country. We simply cannot afford open borders.

“This is why we continue to advocate for a Haitian-led solution to the ongoing crisis in Haiti – a sustainable solution supported by a partnership between many nations. The Bahamas will gladly endorse such an effort, but that solution cannot, and will not, ever include actions that may further negatively impact the Bahamian economy and our communities.”

Prime Minister Davis said that he “fully understand the frustrations felt throughout our islands,” and that “successive administrations could have done more to protect our borders, enforce our laws, eliminate shantytowns, or build an international coalition to address the root problem.

“The Bahamian people have understandably grown impatient. The need to tackle our immigration problems is urgent. Because the life we enjoy here is precious. And anything this valuable must be protected.”

In his address, Prime Minister Davis said he wanted Bahamians to know that his administration has “a comprehensive plan to disrupt the flow of migrants to our islands and to actively pursue the identification and repatriation of those who have entered our nation illegally.

“The Bahamas is a nation of laws, and we will continue to enforce those laws, responsibly and humanely. And what we are doing is making an impact.”

He said last year, 4,748 persons were repatriated, the largest number of repatriations in a calendar year in the country’s history.

“In 2023, already, 1,024 persons have been repatriated. Since we came into office in September 2021, only one migrant vessel was able to land on an inhabited island.”

Davis said alongside the “very vigorous and ongoing repatriation efforts” the authorities have worked to bring the international community together in support of a sustainable solution in Haiti.

“In addition, for more than a year, we have been systematically working to satisfy legal requirements, put in place by our nation’s Supreme Court, so that we can take more aggressive action on shantytowns.”

He said over this period, the authorities have conducted surveillance and gathered evidence establishing that these communities “are unlawful and expanding.

“For years, the Court’s injunction has stood in the way of concerted action on unregulated and illegal communities. But on Friday, the 10th of February, our application to have the injunction discharged was successful, paving the way for the government to act,” Davis said, adding that “following the removal of the injunction, we immediately launched Operation Secure.

“Operation Secure is a collaborative security operation between the Royal Bahamas Police Force, The Defence Force, and the Department of Immigration, to address security and migration-related issues in unregulated and unlawful communities. The operation is focused on identifying irregular migrants, documented migrants, and Bahamians living in these communities, and addressing their status in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.

“We cannot have shantytowns on our islands: they are unsafe, a hazard to public health, they are against the law, and they directly impact our way of life. Our priority is decisive action, based on the laws of our land.”

Prime Minister Davis said that undocumented migrants will continue to be processed and repatriated, adding “this is already underway and will be greatly expanded in the coming days and weeks.

“Documented migrants living in unregulated communities will be required to relocate at their expense or their employer’s expense, or face repatriation. And any Bahamian citizens found to be living in these communities will be required to relocate.”

He warned also that the authorities will hold accountable the entire network of people who make possible these shantytowns.

“Through Operation Secure, we will prevent the exploitation and abuse of migrants by unscrupulous landowners and businesses, holding accountable those with a reckless disregard for our laws. Operation Secure targets those entering our borders illegally, as well as any Bahamian citizen or legal resident who is breaking our laws.

“If you are a Crown Land holder who is unlawfully leasing land, you will be prosecuted. If you are engaged in human smuggling, you will be prosecuted. And if you are employing migrants illegally, you will be prosecuted.

“We will have a zero-tolerance policy for anyone seeking to break or circumvent the laws of The Bahamas. We depend on the skill and professionalism of our uniformed officers.”

Prime Minister Davis said that to support the successful execution of Operation Secure, the government will continue to recruit more immigration officers and consideration is being given for the construction of a new Detention Centre on the island of Inagua, so that migrants who are detained anywhere in The Bahamas can be repatriated without the need to travel to New Providence.

He said as Operation Secure addresses the situation on the ground, the authorities are also investing heavily in protecting the country’s borders.

He said the Royal Bahamas Defence Force is completing the final phase of the Sandy Bottom Project and that this multi-administration initiative is the largest capital investment project ever initiated by the government to expand the Defence Force’s fleet.

Davis said the additional ships have enhanced the Defence Force’s capabilities to carry out its mandate to secure our territorial waters.

“As we increase our capacity for border protection, we will build on our partnerships with neighbouring countries like the US, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Haiti for enhanced cooperation and intelligence sharing. We will also be increasing border protection operations with key partners like the US Coast Guard.

“The reality is we have to defend 100, 000 square miles of territory in The Bahamas. Even wealthy nations like the United States, with all resources at their disposal, struggle to put a complete stop to the inflow of undocumented migrants across their borders. But the difficulty of the task will not deter us from doing all that we can to intercept undocumented vessels in our waters.

“Where cooperation is possible, we will welcome all the help we can get – whether through our work with regional and international partners or through major NGOs whom we will invite to support Operation Secure by providing humanitarian help,” Prime Minister Davis said, adding “we pledge to conduct our efforts swiftly and humanely, and above all to maintain accountability to the Bahamian people on this commitment”.

 

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Based on remarks from Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, it seems that the shareholders of LIAT 1974 Ltd are nowhere closer to resolving the travelling woes currently being experienced by travelers following the collapse of LIAT.

“It is an ongoing discussion. We have mandated the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to explore and to examine the current challenge that we have and to come up with some recommendations on how we can overcome the travel issue of intra-regional travel,” Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told reporters at the end of the 44th CARICOM summit in the Bahamas.

LIAT has a history of financial problems but the gravity of the situation became even more glaring during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic when the airline was forced to shut down in July 2020.

Skerrit told reporters the matter had been discussed during the summit and the leaders had received an updated report from the CDB.

“Amongst ourselves, we have also discussed a number of actions we believe we can take immediately to help resolve the current challenge we have. The reality is we all miss LIAT in the Caribbean, an airline that was chastised by so many of us, but now we understand and appreciate the important public good LIAT espoused for so many decades and so we are looking at what kind of construct we can bring to play recognizing that there are existing companies that are servicing our islands,” he said.

Skerrit said the Caribbean countries are looking “at how we can work with those existing entities to seek to alleviate the current challenges”.

The airline is owned by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

A downsized version of the carrier has been operating a reduced schedule with a limited workforce since November 2020.

 

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Dasheen was the focus of weeklong discussions among some 50 stakeholders including farmers, exporters, government representatives and regional partner Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

From February 13-17, 2023, these stakeholders from across the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines engaged in an assessment of the dasheen value chain of each country, facilitated by the Caribbean Value Chain team of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This weeklong Regional Dasheen Value Chain Working Session is a part of activities under the regional cluster of projects on Promoting Windward Islands Food Production and Trade Corridor through National and Regional Value Chain Development. The workshop sought to identify the challenges along the dasheen value chain and to establish an action plan for increasing the efficiency and profitability of dasheen production.

The three countries discussed the current state of their dasheen sectors, the root causes of its challenges, the steps necessary to remove the vulnerabilities faced by farmers and to ensure secure, fair, and profitable markets for dasheen. Marketing, production, cost of production, mid-supply chain, sustainability, primarily in relation to gender and climate change, were among the topics discussed.

Farmers, regional and international exporters shared the realities on the ground in dasheen production. Mr Lenson Grant, a young dasheen farmer from St Vincent and the Grenadines, shared his challenge of lacking access to a stable market for dasheen and noted that this resulted in inconsistent prices for the product. He highlighted that while he loved planting dasheen, these challenges significantly impacted his earnings.

Mr Nick Bernal, Exporter of Seasons Farm Fresh serving the Caribbean markets in Miami and New York, remarked that while the Caribbean offers high quality dasheen, there is an issue of consistent supply from the region. He added that the future of dasheen production needs to be large-scale to be profitable on the export market and that a coordinated effort in filling this gap would greatly serve the development of a regional dasheen industry.

These sentiments led to discussions on how to alleviate some of the challenges to production, marketing and supply in a holistic and collaborative way that involves all stakeholders at the government, private sector, and farm level. This would ensure a consistent and quality supply of dasheen to adequately supply the local, regional and export markets.

Ms Romuld, FAO International Value Chain Specialist remarked that success of the dasheen value chain was highly dependent on all stakeholders, including farmers, processors, exporters, various government representatives, financial institutions, investment promotion entities among others, having a strong and effective partnership, particularly with the private sector. She emphasized that countries, especially those keen on exporting high potential crops like dasheen, would require strong private sector investment to ensure sustainability.

The working session concluded with a preliminary draft of an Upgrading Strategy that will define the goals for the dasheen sector in each country and identify a path to achieving these goals over the next five years. Over the coming weeks, the countries will establish national value chain teams to deliver a final version of the Strategy for implementation, guided by FAO over the next two years of the project.

 

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United Nations Secretary General Ant?nio Guterres says he is “concerned” about the violent protests that occurred in Suriname last Friday where more than 100 people were detained after protesters stormed the National Assembly and looted businesses.

Several persons were injured in the protests.

“The Secretary-General stresses that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights that must be respected at all times, but protests must be carried out without resorting to violence,” according to a brief statement issued by St?phane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

“The Secretary-General urges all relevant actors in Suriname to show restraint and engage in inclusive dialogue to address constructively the challenges facing the country,” the statement added.

Over the weekend, the United States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) condemned the attack on Suriname’s parliament with Washington saying while it supports the right to peaceful protest and respect for the rule of law, it “remains committed to helping Suriname strengthen its democratic institutions”.

In a statement issued following its 44th summit in the Bahamas, CARICOM said it reaffirms its support for the democratically-elected government in the Dutch-speaking CARICOM country under the leadership of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and “strongly condemned the violent attacks on people as well as private and public facilities including the parliament.

“CARICOM stands in solidarity with all law-abiding citizens of Suriname and urges all concerned to make every effort to maintain public safety. All efforts must be made to restore calm as a matter of urgency.”

Santokhi warned that his government would not tolerate any indiscipline after police used teargas to disperse the demonstrators who gathered outside the Parliament building demanding his administration reverse its policies that have led to the removal of subsidies on a number of items, including fuel.

Justice and Police Minister, Kenneth Amoksi, told a news conference on Sunday night that more than 140 people had been arrested for their involvement in the vandalism and looting that occurred last Friday.

He told reporters that the authorities would continue their search for the organisers of the protests as the authorities detained Stephano ‘Pakittow’ Biervliet, the political activist who was among the main organisers.

 

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