News Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tues. Sept. 23, 2025: Jamaican national Orville Etoria was deported to Eswatini by the Donald Trump administration. This week, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith confirmed that Etoria was successfully repatriated to Jamaica.

Jamaican immigrant Orville Etoria was sent to Africa – not Jamaica. He was returned to Jamaica on Sept. 22, 2025.

He returned to the homeland he had left behind decades ago, on Monday, September 22nd, after weeks of sustained diplomatic engagement. The operation involved coordination between the Ministry’s headquarters, Jamaica’s High Commission in Pretoria – which is accredited to Eswatini, the Government of Eswatini, and the International Organization for Migration, (IOM).

“We are pleased to welcome home Mr. Etoria and we trust the Jamaican public understands and joins the Government in respecting his desire for a quiet return,” Minister Johnson Smith said in a statement. “This case is another example of the importance of international cooperation and the role of our diplomatic network in protecting the rights of Jamaicans overseas.”

Representatives of the Ministry of National Security, which oversees the return of deported nationals, were on hand to receive Etoria, who has requested privacy as he settles back into life in Jamaica.

From Deportation to Repatriation

Etoria’s case has been closely followed by immigration and US Diaspora advocates since July, when reports first surfaced that he was among a group deported from the United States and subsequently transferred to Eswatini. His detention there prompted the Jamaican government to remain in contact with him and his family, monitoring his welfare and negotiating his safe return.

Etoria migrated legally to the United States from Jamaica decades ago. In 1996, he was convicted of murder after fatally shooting a man in Brooklyn and was sentenced to 25 years to life. While serving his sentence, Etoria earned a bachelor’s degree and later, after release, began pursuing a master’s degree in divinity. He completed parole, worked at a men’s shelter, and, according to supporters, sought to rebuild his life.

For many observers, the case highlights the growing complexity of Jamaican migration. According to government figures, more than 1.3 million Jamaicans live outside the island, making consular assistance a critical service. Each year, hundreds of nationals face detention or deportation abroad, requiring Jamaica’s network of embassies and high commissions to intervene.

Jamaica’s Expanding Consular Role

In recent years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has stepped up its public messaging around consular services, urging Jamaicans travelling abroad to register with the nearest embassy or consulate and to seek assistance immediately if detained or facing legal difficulties.

“The wellbeing of Jamaicans overseas is a constant priority for the Government of Jamaica,” Minister Johnson Smith reiterated. “Our combined efforts – government, international partners, and our diplomatic network – ensured Mr. Etoria’s safe return.”

This latest case is one in a series of high-profile interventions. Jamaica has recently coordinated repatriations from as far away as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and several African countries, often working with organizations like the IOM to provide humanitarian and logistical support.

Broader Implications

Etoria’s return also underscores the importance of bilateral and multilateral cooperation at a time when migration enforcement has become more aggressive globally. Deportation and detention cases involving Caribbean nationals have been on the rise, particularly in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Diplomats argue that protecting citizens abroad is not just a humanitarian issue but also a matter of national security and public confidence.

The Ministry is again reminding nationals that consular assistance is available worldwide. Jamaicans facing distress abroad can contact the nearest embassy or high commission, or email consular@mfaft.gov.jm for guidance.

As for Etoria, his story may soon fade from headlines, but it stands as a reminder of the importance of robust diplomatic networks — and of a government’s duty of care to its people, no matter where they may be.

News Americas, PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, September 18, 2025: International health experts are today urging Caribbean policymakers to embrace safer nicotine alternatives as a major new report reveals their life-saving potential worldwide.

The landmark study, The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures, shows that smoke-free alternatives such as vapes and nicotine pouches are cutting smoking rates dramatically and producing measurable improvements in public health: fewer deaths, fewer cases of chronic disease and fewer years lost to disability.

Dr. Delon Human, a co-author of the report and leader of Smoke Free Sweden, said: “This ground-breaking research represents a substantial public health opportunity for the Caribbean, where more than one in five adults still smokes.

“By integrating safer nicotine alternatives like vapes and oral pouches into tobacco control strategies, Caribbean policymakers could prevent thousands of premature deaths, with their citizens as the eventual beneficiaries.”

The report, which comes ahead of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) conference (COP11) in Geneva in November, reveals:

Sweden has cut smoking to just 5.3%, the lowest in Europe, by making snus and nicotine pouches widely accessible. Swedish men now have 61% lower lung cancer rates than the EU average, and overall cancer deaths are a third lower. Without snus, smoking-related male mortality would have been 70% higher.

Japan has halved its cigarette sales since the introduction of heated tobacco products a decade ago. Smoking prevalence dropped from 21% to 16%, and health modelling suggests switching just half of smokers to heated tobacco could prevent 12 million cases of smoking-related disease.

The UK has integrated vaping into NHS quit-smoking services, with smoking rates falling from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.9% today. Real-world data already show declines in cardiovascular deaths, cancer mortality, COPD cases and smoking-related hospital admissions.

New Zealand halved its smoking rate in just six years after legalising and promoting vaping and heated tobacco, while vaping prevalence rose more than fourfold. Almost 80% of daily vapers are ex-smokers. COPD hospitalizations have fallen nearly 30% and smoking-related cardiovascular deaths are down 20%.

“These figures make one thing clear: safer nicotine alternatives are saving lives today,” said Dr. Human.

“COP11 is a moment of truth. If Parties adopt harm reduction within the framework of the FCTC, millions of lives could be saved worldwide. This report should be essential reading for every policymaker in Geneva.”

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Sept. 16, 2025: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is accusing Washington of provoking a potential armed conflict in the Caribbean following a second U.S. military strike on what the Trump administration claims was a drug-laden boat from Venezuela.

Speaking at a press conference in Caracas, Maduro lashed out at the United States, saying the latest strike — which killed three people aboard the vessel — is part of a broader campaign to “intimidate and seek regime change.”

A US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster takeoff at José Aponte de la Torre Airport, formerly Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, on September 11, 2025, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The Trump administration recently carried out a drone strike in the southern Caribbean against a boat that had left Venezuela and was suspected of transporting drugs. Eleven people died in the attack. The president claimed that the vessel was operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodríguez Carrillo/Getty Images)

“They are looking for a military incident,” Maduro charged. “When 18 armed Marines raid a tuna fishing vessel in Caribbean waters, they are not looking for snapper — they are looking for war.”

The comments come as Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter jets were spotted flying over the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico, a move seen by military analysts as a show of force just miles from Venezuelan waters.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro makes a speech at the end of a press conference with international media at Hotel Eurobuilding in Caracas, Venezuela on September 15, 2025. (Photo by Ivan Mcgregor/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The U.S. military footprint in Puerto Rico is expanding as F-35B stealth fighters touched down last Saturday at the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads — now José Aponte de la Torre Airport — transforming the once-surplus base into a major staging ground for Washington’s counternarcotics operations and pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

The arrival of the fifth-generation fighters comes amid heightened tensions in the southern Caribbean following two recent U.S. strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats.

Even before the F-35s landed, the base had seen a flurry of activity. Heavy-lift cargo planes including the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III have been spotted delivering equipment, alongside Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors and CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. The aircraft are part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which began a training exercise on the island on August 31st.

The surge in operations has reignited debate over whether Roosevelt Roads — decommissioned more than two decades ago — should be permanently reopened as a U.S. military installation, especially as the Trump administration leans on Puerto Rico’s strategic location to project power into the Caribbean.

Trump’s Expanding “War on Cartels”

President Donald Trump confirmed a second strike on a Venezuelan boat on Monday, calling it a necessary step to protect U.S. communities from narcotics.

“These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels pose a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and vital U.S. interests,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Big bags of cocaine and fentanyl were found all over the ocean.”

Trump hinted the campaign could expand beyond maritime operations, saying cartels smuggling drugs by land could also face military strikes: “We’re going to stop them the same way we stopped the boats.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the president, warning cartels the U.S. would “track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere.”

A Growing Risk for the Wider Caribbean

Regional security experts warn that the militarization of anti-narcotics operations in the Caribbean could destabilize a region already struggling with gang violence and illegal trafficking routes.

The Caribbean has increasingly become a transshipment point for cocaine and fentanyl entering the U.S., but human rights advocates question whether drone and missile strikes are a proportional response.

“This is not just a war on cartels — this is extrajudicial killing at sea,” said Amnesty International’s Daphne Eviatar, who called the strikes “murder” under international law.

Regional Governments on Edge

So far, CARICOM leaders have stayed largely quiet on the escalation, but Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has rejected an accusation by Maduro that she “went crazy… threatening to authorize attacks from Trinidad and Tobago against Venezuela. That is like declaring war against Venezuela.”

Responding to the comments, she clarified her position. “I am not concerned about their comments. The U.S. has never requested access to our territory for any military action against Venezuela,” she told the Express. “I have no issue with a respectful relationship with the Venezuelan government — but it must be mutual.”

She pressed Caracas to accept the repatriation of roughly 200 Venezuelan nationals, saying their government had stalled the process for over two months.

“The relationship between our two countries would improve if they helped curb illegal drug, arms, and human trafficking across the Gulf of Paria, which fuels gang violence here,” she added.

Meanwhile, during the inauguration of Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Georgetown on Sunday, two U.S. AV-8B aircraft conducted a flyover, which “symbolizes our full solidarity with the people of Guyana,” the U.S. Embassy in the South American country said. This as Guyana, which established a partnership with the U.S. in 1966, has a centuries-long border dispute with its western neighbor Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region, a Guyana-administered territory that makes up two-thirds of the country’s land area.

For now, the Caribbean Community watches anxiously as Washington and Caracas edge toward confrontation — a standoff that threatens to turn the region from a tranquil tourism haven into the next front line in America’s war on drugs.

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Sept. 11, 2025: As the United States marks the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the ceremonies at Ground Zero and across the nation remain solemn and moving. Bells toll, names are read, and politicians, including those with xenophobic agendas, pledge to “never forget.”

But for many in the Caribbean diaspora, the phrase “never forget” feels incomplete. More than 100 victims of 9/11 were born in Caribbean or CARICOM nations — from Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Haiti, to smaller islands like Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Antigua. They died working in offices, kitchens, and security posts high in the World Trade Center towers or as first responders rushing toward danger.

The Caribbean victims of September 11. (Copyright: NewsAmericasNow.com)

Yet their stories rarely get the same attention even though their names are listed in the 911 Memorial. As the years pass, their names risk fading into the tide of history.

Take Patrick Adams, born in Georgetown, Guyana, who worked security at Fuji Bank on the 80th floor of Tower Two. Or Karl Henry Joseph, a Haitian firefighter with Engine 207 in Brooklyn, who was among the first to respond and never made it out. John Sylvester White, from St. Ann, Jamaica, was working a shift at ABM Industries that morning, while Rena Sam Dinnoo of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, was at her desk at Marsh & McLennan.

These were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters — Caribbean immigrants who helped keep New York’s economic engine running. They were the embodiment of the immigrant dream, working hard and building lives for their families.

But in official ceremonies, their Caribbean roots are largely ignored. Their home countries hold no national memorials. Many of their names are absent from Caribbean history lessons. For a region with such a strong diaspora presence in New York City, that silence stings.

Immigrant advocates argue that this lack of visibility reflects a broader erasure of immigrant contributions in American history. This is not just about symbolism — it’s about memory and belonging. Honoring Caribbean victims is honoring the immigrant backbone of New York. It is acknowledging that these men and women were part of the city’s heartbeat.

Some have called for Caribbean-specific commemorations each September, whether through school programs, church services, or cultural centers across the region and diaspora. Others want scholarship funds and community initiatives established in the names of those lost.

The examples are there: Sweden, after a 2017 terror attack, built a dedicated memorial listing each victim’s name. Rwanda has made genocide remembrance a central part of its national identity. Why not the Caribbean for its own fallen?

As we pass the two-decade mark, there is a danger that 9/11 will become history only read in textbooks. The immigrant stories – the Caribbean stories – risk vanishing even faster.

This September 11, as the world pauses to remember, the Caribbean diaspora must call for something more: to keep these names alive, not just on plaques in lower Manhattan, but in the collective memory of the islands they once called home.

Because “never forget” must mean remembering everyone — not just the most prominent, but also those who left early for work that day, never knowing they would not return.

News Americas, PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, September 10, 2025: International health experts are urgently advising for immediate policy reform in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, insisting on the adoption of life-saving tobacco harm reduction strategies. They point to a proven global blueprint that has already empowered more than 150 million people to quit smoking.

Analysis from Smoke Free Sweden shows that more than 14 million lives can be saved globally by 2060 if governments act decisively to integrate tobacco harm reduction into traditional control methods. For the Caribbean, this depends on the speed with which governments can act. Adopting safer nicotine alternatives like vapes and oral pouches will prevent thousands of needless, premature deaths, but only if the correct policies are enacted now.

This urgent call to action is set against a backdrop of stubbornly high smoking rates, with nearly one in three men in Trinidad and Tobago and 11% of men in Barbados still dangerously addicted to cigarettes.

“Policymakers face a clear choice: lead a public health revolution or fail their citizens. The strategies to make smoking obsolete by making less hamrful alternatives accessible, affordable and acceptable are proven,” said Dr. Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden and a former secretary general of the World Medical Association. “Act now to save thousands of lives. ”

For example, in the United Kingdom, smoking rates fell by 41% as vaping became a popular alternative. Japan saw cigarette sales plummet by more than 40% following the introduction of heated tobacco products. Meanwhile, Sweden, which adopted safer alternatives decades ago, is on the verge of becoming officially ‘smoke-free’ and has the lowest rate of smoking-related death in the European Union.

“Let us use the evidence we have at hand. A constructive, evidence-based approach in the Caribbean will yield life-saving results. We are not just urging, but demanding that policymakers look at this global blueprint and act decisively. Hesitation will be measured in funerals,” Dr. Human added.

This demand for a science-backed policy shift comes just ahead of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control conference (COP11), where Caribbean delegations have a duty to champion public health innovation over outdated, ineffective and ideological dogma.

“For too long, the debate has been crippled by misinformation that ignores a fundamental truth: people smoke for the nicotine, but they die from the tar in combustibles,” said Dr. Human. “By denying smokers access to products that are up to 95% less harmful, governments are actively protecting the lethal cigarette trade. It is past time to put public health first and implement policies based on science, not fear.”

About Smoke Free Sweden:

Smoke Free Sweden is a movement which encourages other countries to follow the Swedish model when it comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction. Sweden’s smoke-free success can be attributed to its open attitude towards regulated alternative nicotine products.

For more information on Sweden’s successful approach to becoming a smoke-free nation, please visit www.smokefreesweden.org