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The Summit of the Americas – Picking and Choosing Attendees

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The Summit of the Americas – Picking and Choosing Attendees

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Friday, June 17, 2022

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The Summit of the Americas – Picking and Choosing Attendees

I WAS THINKING about the most recent edition of the Summit of the Americas, which closed on June 10 in Los Angeles, USA.

Who did not attend –

Not in attendance were the official leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. They were not invited. Also, not in attendance, by choice, were the heads of government of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Their absence constituted a protest or a statement of principle, regarding the non-invitation of the aforementioned “Excluded Three”.

This story made regional news headlines and hit global news networks as well. It had the makings of a controversy that would have diminished the intended purpose of this hemispheric gathering. Yet, the Summit went on as scheduled.

It seems that they got some work done in relation to migration, climate change and general hemispheric collaboration. At least, they arrived at a position on these matters, along with accompanying action plans.

Clearly, if they want meaningful results, on the matter of immigration at least, discussions must take place with those who stayed away. Let us see what happens in the upcoming months.

The Gonsalves Stance –

I am a bit ambivalent about the position that CARICOM should have taken in relation to participating in the Summit. On the one hand, I can appreciate Dr Gonsalves’s decision to stay away. The Americas is for and about all countries and peoples who are in this hemisphere.
The Biden/Blinken administration should not decide whom to be invited or not invited because it does not agree with their political systems or the politics of their leaders. Although you may ask yourself whether you want to break bread with a leader (Daniel Ortega) who incarcerated the major opposition leaders and barred them from participating in presidential elections.

Principle versus Pragmatism –

Principle must not clash with pragmatism. There are those who argue that the Biden policies towards Latin America and the Caribbean are a bit more accommodating than those of his predecessor – there is greater dialogue between the USA and Cuba today. Whether for the right or wrong reason, since Putin’s troops have set foot on Ukrainian soil, there have been strong murmurs of USA and the Maduro government returning to the negotiating table to discuss the lifting of sanctions and increased oil production.

But whether these actions have taken place or not, I will not hold it against those CARICOM leaders for attending, with the aim of dealing with the over-arching matters. While there, they could have opted to speak on the US government invitation faux-pas, making it clear that the best way to deal with hemispheric bugbears is to talk straight-up, face to face with those you oppose or with those who oppose you.

The same view applies to those who deliberately stayed away.

An Ease in Covid-19 Protocols –

At the time of writing, the number of known active cases in SVG is fewer than 200, and currently trending downwards. Although, new cases are riding a roller-coaster, the mean number is not alarming. However, we have to keep our finger on the pulse of what is happening.

I get the impression that many persons feel that the pandemic is all but gone and life should return to normal – “tings nice agen!“

Border health in the UK and in the USA are no longer tasked with checking on travellers with vaccination certificates and Covid tests. This is a significant relief for those who are heading off/ back to any one of those countries during the upcoming weeks. It has been quite a stressor for both visitors and port health officials, over the last two years.

SVG Health’s position –

It is a bit different in SVG. At this time, SVG Health is telling the unvaccinated (only), to come with a valid Covid test and be quarantined for five days at an approved facility. Some persons are not happy with the country’s position. But, as the figures show, Covid has not yet left our shores. With Vincy Mas coming up in a matter of days, we run the risk of another major spike.

I am quite comfortable with this requirement. If you are going to SVG anytime soon, don’t stress yourself, get vaccinated within the requisite time frame and then enjoy the country’s delights, without the pre-travel bureaucratic hassle.

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Citizens urged to take advantage of Vaccination Week

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Citizens urged to take advantage of Vaccination Week

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 11:00

Sunday, April 24, 2022

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Barbados Advocate - News

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Citizens urged to take advantage of Vaccination Week

PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne.

CITIZENS are being encouraged to take ad- vantage of PAHO’s pub- lic health initiative en- titled “Vaccination Week in the Americas” which is promoted in the last week of April, and which this year will serve as an oppor- tunity to accelerate vaccination against COVID-19 and improve coverage rates for other vaccines that have declined over the past decade.
The theme of the Week, which runs from April 23- 30, is “Are you fully vacci- nated? Get all your shots,” and calls on the entire population to review their vaccination schedules and get vaccinated to be fully protected.
“This Vaccination Week is an opportunity to im- prove vaccination rates against polio, measles, rubella, diphtheria and other preventable diseases that have fallen in
the last ten years,” said PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne.
“Vaccines work and in the last 20 years have prevented millions from getting sick, hospitalized and even dying. This is why it is vital that everyone has access,” she said.
In two years of the pandemic, the focus on controlling COVID-19 has left health systems and heath care professionals over- whelmed and has set back almost three decades of progress in the fight against polio and measles in the region. In 2020, more than 2.7 million chil- dren in the Americas were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated, making them susceptible to diseases such as measles, polio and diphtheria, the first two of which were eliminated from the region.
While the coverage rate with the three doses of polio vaccine stood at 82% in 2020 - the lowest since 1994 - the regional coverage rate against measles, mumps and rubella (with MMR1 MMR vaccine) was 87%, six percentage points lower than the 93% recorded in 2016.
Meanwhile, regional coverage for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (with DTP3 vaccine) also fell from 91% in 2016 to 85% in 2020. All of these rates fell below the 95% recommended by PAHO to prevent outbreaks.
“Vaccines remain our best protection. We cannot let our guard down,” Etienne stressed. We must intensify efforts to reverse this situation, and we know how to do it, our his- tory of eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases proves it.”
With nearly 1.8 billion doses administered in the region in just 16 months, vaccination against COVID-19 is the largest
immunization program in history. Fourteen countries have already reached the WHO goal of vaccinat- ing 70% of their populations ahead of June 30th 2022, 26 have achieved coverage between 40% and 69%, and 11 remain below 40%. “Success is possible when we work together to embrace vaccination,” said the PAHO Director, urging countries to “take advantage of Vaccination Week to reach the most vulnerable.”
The launch of Vaccination Week in the Americas will be marked with an event on April 25 in Dominica, which will be attended by the PAHO Director and the highest authorities of the Caribbean country. Video messages are also ex- pected from the presidents of Chile, Ecuador and Honduras, as well as from the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Barbados is meanwhile celebrating the 20th Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) from Saturday, April 23, to Saturday, April 30. According to the Government Information Service, all vaccines, COVID-19 as well as rou- tine vaccines, will be avail- able to members of the
public with the exception of Sunday, April 24, when only COVID-19 vaccines will be administered. During the week, persons may go to any polyclinic, within or outside of their catchment areas to receive their vaccines. No vaccines will be offered however on the National Heroes Day bank holiday.

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Moisture trough will cause showers this Wednesday

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:50:01 +0000

Moisture trough will cause showers this Wednesday

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:50

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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Local – Dominican Today

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Moisture trough will cause showers this Wednesday

In Greater Santo Domingo, the maximum temperature will range between 31°C and 33°C, while the minimum will remain between 23°C and 25°C.

Santo Domingo, DR
For this Wednesday, the occurrence of weak to heavy rains will continue, especially during the early hours of the day.

According to the weather report issued by the National Meteorological Office (Onamet), these showers will occur due to the incidence of a trough and the remnants of the tropical wave that was affecting the Caribbean Sea in recent days.

Likewise, the entity informed that the rains, accompanied by gusts of wind and isolated thunderstorms, will occur mainly in the northeast, southeast, northwest, and Central Cordillera regions and added that the country would not be affected in huge quantities because the trough is located near the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras.

As for temperatures, the heat sensation will increase during the course of the week due to the warm wind from the east/southeast.

Given this forecast, the entity recommends that the population drink enough fluids, wear light clothing, and avoid prolonged and unprotected sun exposure, especially the elderly and children, because they are the most susceptible.

Local forecast

In Greater Santo Domingo, the maximum temperature will oscillate between 31°C and 33°C (88-91°F), while the minimum will remain between 23°C and 25°C (73-77°F).

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COE places 7 provinces on green alert for possible flooding due to downpours

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:50:01 +0000

COE places 7 provinces on green alert for possible flooding due to downpours

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:50

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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Local – Dominican Today

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COE places 7 provinces on green alert for possible flooding due to downpours

The Emergency Operations Center (COE) placed seven provinces on Wednesday under a green alert for possible flooding of rivers, streams, and ravines, as well as sudden or urban flooding, because the east/southeast wind is bringing moisture along with a trough that will generate downpours.

The institution indicates that the following are on green alert: La Vega, Hato Mayor, Monseñor Nouel, Greater Santo Domingo, San Pedro de Macorís, Santiago and San Cristóba.

The National Meteorological Office forecasts that a trough will affect today the occurrence of locally moderate to strong downpours, electrical storms, and gusts of wind over different provinces of the north, northeast, southeast, southwest, Central Mountain range, and the border area.

It indicates that these precipitations will extend towards other sectors of our territory in the afternoon.

It also observes a disorganized zone of downpours and electrical storms associated with low pressure that was near the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras last night, with a 30% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next two days but it is not yet dangerous. for the Dominican Republic.

He adds that temperatures will remain high in much of the Dominican Republic.

There will be downpours, thunderstorms, and wind in the Santo Domingo province and the National District.

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Dominican Republic’s basic food basket is one of the cheapest in the region, according to study

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Dominican Republic’s basic food basket is one of the cheapest in the region, according to study

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 15:30

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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Economy – Dominican Today

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Dominican Republic’s basic food basket is one of the cheapest in the region, ac…

Santo Domingo, DR.
According to a study recently carried out by the Central American Consumer Protection Council (Concadeco), an organization that belongs to the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Dominican Republic is one of the countries with the cheapest basic food basket,

The president of the regional body, the Honduran Mario Castejon, said in a press release that the country has the staple products with the lowest prices than Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, and other Caribbean countries.

The head of the General Directorate of Consumer Protection of Tegucigalpa also highlighted that according to the comparative study, the basic food basket in El Salvador is US$223.86; Dominican Republic US$275.38.

He said that for this study, the 26 essential food products marketed in rural and urban areas of these countries were taken as a fundamental sample, “where it was determined that El Salvador is the first country with the cheapest basic products, followed by the Dominican Republic.”

Food
Among the foods included in the price monitoring study are chicken, eggs, pasta, legumes, sausages, cereals and derivatives, powdered and liquid milk, dairy products, vegetables, roots and tubers, seafood and fish, fruits, canned goods, as well as rice and oils have more affordable prices in the Dominican Republic.

Castejón said that the consumer protection agencies permanently carry out these studies to maintain a consultation among all the member states of the Consumer Protection Council of Central America.

He explained that the importance of the fact that the country has one of the cheapest basic food baskets in the region benefits the pockets of Dominican consumers, mainly low-income families.

He took the opportunity to inform us that next September, the executive director of the National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights, Dr. Eddy Alcántara, will assume the pro tempore presidency of Concadeco in an event to be held in Santo Domingo with the presence of his counterparts from Central America.

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The Summit of the Americas – Picking and Choosing Attendees

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 14:50:01 +0000

The Summit of the Americas – Picking and Choosing Attendees

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 14:50

Friday, June 17, 2022

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Original Article

The Summit of the Americas – Picking and Choosing Attendees

I WAS THINKING about the most recent edition of the Summit of the Americas, which closed on June 10 in Los Angeles, USA.

Who did not attend –

Clearly, if they want meaningful results, on the matter of immigration at least, discussions must take place with those who stayed away. Let us see what happens in the upcoming months.

The Gonsalves Stance –

Principle versus Pragmatism –

The same view applies to those who deliberately stayed away.

An Ease in Covid-19 Protocols –

I get the impression that many persons feel that the pandemic is all but gone and life should return to normal – “tings nice agen!“

SVG Health’s position –

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Half of region’s households lose income since pandemic – survey

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 11:20:01 +0000

Half of region’s households lose income since pandemic – survey

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admin Sat, 12/11/2021 - 11:20

Thursday, December 2, 2021

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Business – Barbados Today

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Half of region’s households lose income since pandemic – survey

At least half the households in the Caribbean and Latin American have not been able to recover income levels before the pandemic, leading to serious erosion in standards of education and health among other indicators, a survey released this week said.

The survey by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) analysed the current state of the region in six key areas, namely labour markets, income and food security, education, gender, health and digital and finance.

The “Phase 2 of the 2021 LAC High- Frequency Phone Survey” described as “an uneven recovery: taking the pulse of the Latin America and Caribbean following the pandemic,” also included such CARICOM countries as Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Guyana.

Overall, the survey found that in the Caribbean and Latin American, while the employment situation had been showing signs of recovery over the past two years of the pandemic, the jobs were mainly generated by micro-companies and those engaged in self-employment.

“There has been huge unemployment as a consequence and one in every four persons across the region has not been to get their jobs back,” said Luis Felipe López-Calva, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP, adding that Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Haiti had been the most severely affected countries in the region.

He said women more than men had been more affected by the situation, particularly mothers of very small children and people “in vulnerable ages …and those with less levels of schooling.“Region-wise, there is still a long way to recover….(and) the quality of employment has degraded across the region in all countries… it has deteriorated significantly”.

He said that the survey had shown that formal employment “has diminished almost by five per cent region-wide (and) …we see people had to resort to selfemployment.

According to the data, 50 per cent of households have not been able to recover income levels before the pandemic whether through the labour market or even remittances and emergency transfers, leading to a situation of worrying food security levels n the region.

The data showed that all countries had recorded a drop in access to food and that the countries that were already facing poverty levels before the pandemic “are the ones suffering the most”.

In the field of education, while countries such as Guyana, Belize had recorded 12 percentage points higher before the pandemic, other countries were now recording as high as 22 per cent of children not being able to attend classes.

“This is one of the big challenges of the pandemic,” said the panellists during a webinar on Monday when the results of the survey were released, with the data showing that virtual learning in some countries was so bad due to the lack of access to the internet, available technology and even children not wanting to participate in the new environment.

World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, described as a “silent crisis” the events brought about by the pandemic in the field of education, especially for primary and secondary education.

Jaramillo said: “Schools have been mostly closed. In some countries, they have not reopened yet, at least not totally, and I think that is something that we said is that the alternatives that have been used are far from ideal.

“I think some countries have used education through the internet, some countries have used more traditional mechanisms such as education through TV and the radio, but the effectiveness of these alternatives is not very positive …and we are worried that there is not a system good enough so that most students can truly have an effective educational experience.

“The World Bank officials said “this is going to leave a very deep scar on this generation and we have to think about how countries can deal with what they have lost in terms of two years of learning.

‘Two years of silent crisis in education.”

The study also found that vaccination had become available in many Caribbean and Latin American countries and would in the future contribute to students returning to their classrooms. But in places like Haiti, vaccination is non-existent.

It was also discovered that in the region, one in five unvaccinated people do not want to be vaccinated and that situation could be found in rural areas, the elderly and people who just do not believe in vaccines.

The survey found that the pandemic had allowed for an increase in digital and financing with technology making a leap as much as 50 per cent, many homes were now using digital platforms to carry out their tasks such as banking and using mobile wallets.
Jaramillo told the webinar that going forward, the Caribbean and Latin America must deal with the digital gap, adding “the pandemic has made it clear that this is extremely serious and this has deepened social gaps.

He said: “I think this is also responsible for some of the…inequalities because those who had resources could work from home or go to school through the internet.

However, those who did not have access through the internet…have been very limited in their possibilities.

“I think the figures we have gained through the survey clearly show this and I think this is an urgent investment and it is not very costly. We need to give access to the internet to the 20 per cent of the poorest population. This is actually not a huge investment for most countries and it is urgent.” (BT/CMC)

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New hope as Honduras elects first female president

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 04:40:01 +0000

New hope as Honduras elects first female president

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Friday, December 3, 2021

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New hope as Honduras elects first female president

Honduras is celebrating renewed hope with the overwhelming victory of its first female president-elect Xiomary Castro, in elections held on the weekend. Castro’s victory comes 12 years after her popularly elected husband President Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a US supported coup in 2009.

The period since then had seen the installation of right-winged governments plagued with widespread corruption and producing despair which saw thousands of poor Hondurans taking the difficult trek on foot north through Mexico in attempts to reach the United States.

Preliminary results saw Castro amassing over 52% of the vote with her nearest rival National Party contender Nasry Asfura with just 34.1% with 52% of the vote tallied.

Minutes after Asfura’s concession, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Castro and said Washington looked forward to working with her.

“We congratulate Hondurans for the high voter turnout, peaceful participation, and active civil society engagement that marked this election, signaling an enduring commitment to the democratic process,” Blinken said.

Castro’s election brought much hope for the poor and in particular for members of the large Garifuna community which has been under siege since the coup which toppled former President Zelaya. Garifuna leaders campaigned strongly for president-elect Xiomara Castro and were seen photographed alongside the winner while the results were being announced.

Jubilant celebrations broke out at Castro’s campaign headquarters on Sunday as the vote count progressed and her lead held up, with supporters chanting “JOH out” in reference to two-term President Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party.

Hernandez is deeply unpopular and has been implicated in a drug trafficking case in a U.S. federal court. He denies wrongdoing, but could face an indictment when he leaves office.

“We have turned back authoritarianism,” Castro told supporters late on Sunday, surrounded by her Libre Party faithful, aides and family, including her husband Zelaya, who was ousted when business and military elites allied against him, ushering in a dozen years of National Party rule.

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The IDB approves aid for US $ 1.65 billion in six countries; will give a non-refundable loan to Haiti

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:40:01 +0000

The IDB approves aid for US $ 1.65 billion in six countries; will give a non-refundable loan to Haiti

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admin Fri, 12/10/2021 - 09:40

Sunday, December 5, 2021

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Economy – Dominican Today

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The IDB approves aid for US $ 1.65 billion in six countries; will give a non-re…

Washington, USA

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved eight financial operations for Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, and Uruguay for a value of US $ 1.65 billion.

The operations they will be destined for aim to strengthen public finances, reactivate the economy, and improve health services, water and sanitation, and transportation.

These funds are also expected to contribute to improving resilience to natural disasters, food security, the business climate, and connectivity in rural areas, among other areas, the IDB reported in a statement.

Within this aid package, there are two loans for Argentina for 500 million. The first seeks to finance access to public health services for the Province of Buenos Aires population, and the second is to improve the safety of road networks in the same area.

For Brazil, a loan for US $ 80 million was approved to improve the coverage of drinking water and sanitation in Manaus and for urbanization projects, digital transformation, and inclusion of gender and diversity.

The loan for Ecuador amounts to 400 million. It will finance a program to strengthen the institutional and regulatory framework to improve the business climate, promote international trade and enhance financial stability and access to financing.

For Haiti, the IDB has planned non-reimbursable financing for US $ 60 million to improve the food security of rural households, including the country’s farmers, fishermen, seafood traders, and rural workers, by promoting rural productivity and connectivity markets.

This project will be co-financed with 18.3 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.

In the case of Honduras, the 400 million loans will help to face natural and public health disasters. They will cushion the impact of a natural disaster or a severe or catastrophic health event on public finances.

Finally, the IDB approved two loans for Uruguay for 210 million. The first, of 145 million to promote the post-pandemic economic and fiscal recovery, with measures to protect the income of vulnerable households and increase the liquidity of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The second loan for Uruguay, of 65 million, will be used to rehabilitate different road sections.

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New hope as Honduras elects first female president

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 07:20:02 +0000

New hope as Honduras elects first female president

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New hope as Honduras elects first female president

Preliminary results saw Castro amassing over 52% of the vote with her nearest rival National Party contender Nasry Asfura with just 34.1% with 52% of the vote tallied.

Minutes after Asfura’s concession, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Castro and said Washington looked forward to working with her.

Hernandez is deeply unpopular and has been implicated in a drug trafficking case in a U.S. federal court. He denies wrongdoing, but could face an indictment when he leaves office.

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