Caribbean RoundUp
Bahamas
Tourism officials in The Bahamas say they expect the country to become a key player in the rapidly growing space tourism sector as its first international rocket landing is set to take place off the coast of The Exumas.
The global space tourism industry’s SpaceX said that its Falcon 9 rocket will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
“About eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on SpaceX’s autonomous droneship, which will ensure environmental safety and protection. The droneship will be stationed off the coast of The Exumas in the Atlantic Ocean,” according to a statement issued by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
It said that Bahamian Aisha Bowe, a former NASA scientist and STEMBoard founder and chief executive officer, worked with SpaceX to help establish space protocols in The Bahamas, advancing the nation’s travel space innovation.
There is the possibility that residents of the area and visitors to The Bahamas may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing. All aspects of the Florida launch and The Bahamas arrival are subject to weather and other conditions. The activity is being regulated and monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB),” the ministry said.
It said that The Bahamas will be the exclusive location for this first international event, showcasing its unique position as the only destination where the public can witness Falcon 9 booster landings from a prime vantage point.
Caribbean
Dr. Lisa Indar was another as the new executive director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha).
A recent Carpha press release said her appointment became effective on Feb. 1. She had been interim executive director since July 2024, having served as director of surveillance, disease prevention, and control since 2019 and as head of the regional tourism and health program since 2014.
The release said that at a recent staff retreat, Indar shared her vision for the agency and unveiled the new strategic plan 2025-2030.
Carpha said that Indar has over 20 years of experience in regional and international public health. She holds a PhD, MSc (Distinction), and BSc (Honours) with multidisciplinary qualifications.
She led several key public health initiatives, including:
– Co-ordination of Carpha’s successful, multi-faceted regional health response to the pandemic
– Spearheaded implementation of the US$16M regional pandemic fund grant
– Development of Carpha’s regional health security framework strategic initiative to strengthen regional public health preparedness and response
– Co-ordinated the implementation of a novel mass gathering surveillance system for the ICC Men’s T20 cricket World Cup in 2024
– Co-ordinated Carphas regional health response following Hurricane Beryl and the Mpox outbreak in August 2024
Carpha is the sole, integrated, regional public health agency responsible for preventing disease and promoting and protecting health in the Caribbean through leadership, innovation, and partnerships.
Dominica
The Dominica government said that they have been informed by the United States that there are approximately 104 Dominicans illegally residing in the North American country and that plans are being made to have them returned to the Caribbean island in keeping with US President Donald Trump’s order to evict illegal migrants.
“We have been informed by the United States government that there are about 104 Dominicans that they have identified who will be served with eviction notices to be removed from the United States for various reasons,” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said at a news conference.
“They are not in a position to give those names until those persons are in their custody. So our embassy in Washington is in touch with the State Department to share information with us,” Skerrit said, adding that he has been informed that at least four nationals are in US custody awaiting deportation.
“We are facilitating documentation because there are some people with no documents because of the length of time they spent in the United States, and we have to provide them with travel documents.”
Guyana
President Irfaan Ali recently described the United States as “one of our most important strategic partners” as he urged the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to pay close attention to the “chess play” in the Caribbean region.
Addressing the GDF’s 2025 Annual Officers’ Conference, Ali, the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, said Guyana has seen “what I describe as a philosophical chess playing among different members in the region.”
Ali said that what is unfolding in the region is “a philosophical chess play that has security implications, and we must be able to understand what is driving these philosophical chess movements that are occurring.”
Guyana has a long-standing border dispute with Venezuela, and while the Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries have expressed support for Georgetown, some regional countries enjoy good diplomatic relations with Caracas.
The United States has publicly supported Guyana’s position regarding the border dispute with Venezuela. In his address, President Ali described the North American country as “one of our most important strategic partners.” The country now has a new focus on the Western Hemisphere and a philosophy of securing borders and protecting assets.
Ali said Washington’s approach has profound implications for the movement of migrants in search of economic opportunities.
Ali added that the GDF is a key player in preserving democracy and that members have the right to vote freely in general and regional elections later this year.
Grenada
Grenada will host the third edition of the Caribbean NDC Investment Forum & Marketplace. This was announced by the St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission.
It said that the March 31 to April 2 event is being held in collaboration with several regional and international partners. It will bring together policymakers, private sector leaders, development agencies, and investors to accelerate financing for climate action and resilience-building in the Caribbean.
The Grenada government is sponsoring the event, which is supported by the European Union Global Gateway, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and the NDC.
It will be held under the theme Investing in Climate Action for a Resilient Future. It aims to recognize the NDCFI’s successes and its role in advancing NDC implementation, expand the NDCFI network to drive ambitious climate action and enhance financial sustainability, and strengthen collaboration between governments, private sector entities, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and international development partners.
The organizers hope the event will also attract new partners, collaborators, and sources of finance.
Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell is expected to deliver the opening address.
Jamaica
Despite recent economic challenges, Dr. Wayne Henry, director general of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), said Jamaica is not in a recession.
At a PIOJ Quarterly press briefing, Henry addressed concerns about the island’s economic performance, citing a comprehensive analysis of key indicators.
“While we acknowledge the downturn in economic output, our assessment based on the most recent data and information available is that the Jamaican economy is not in a recession,” he emphasized.
The determination follows a scrutiny period prompted by data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) showing a decline in seasonally adjusted real value added at constant prices for the April to June and July to September 2024 quarters.
Henry clarified that while this data initially suggested the economy met one technical criterion for a recession, a more holistic view provides a different picture.
“The use of gross domestic product (GDP) alone to determine a recession has its shortfalls,” he explained.
“It is often better to consider a wider set of measures of economic activity to determine whether a country is indeed experiencing a recession. Specifically, economic indicators, such as income, employment, and fiscal health, should be taken into consideration to reflect a more comprehensive view,” he added.
“The unemployment rate for October 2024 is 3.5 %, and employers have also lamented challenges and shortages in filling some vacant positions.
“This suggests that despite the temporary contraction in output, the labor market continues to remain robust and may be considered a lead indicator of a return to growth in the short term,” he added.
Henry acknowledged the recent impact of Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Raphael, which significantly affected key sectors such as tourism, electricity and water supply, agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
Despite these challenges, Henry expressed optimism about the near future.
— Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan
