Deadly clashes between rival gangs in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area seeking to exert control over populous areas have surged in recent weeks, with a significant upsurge since the beginning of the month. Nine police stations have been attacked over the past week, at least 15 weapons stolen and a Haitian police inspector killed. Another seven officers have died in metropolitan Port-au-Prince amid violent clashes between warring gangs that have forced thousands of Haitians to flee from their homes along the southern edge of the capital since the start of this month, reports the Miami Herald.
Preliminary estimates suggest that thousands of people have fled their homes and sought shelter with host families or settled in informal shelters, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Haiti postponed a controversial constitutional referendum schedule for June 27, due to coronavirus concerns. No new date was set, further deepening the country’s political crisis, reports Al Jazeera. Last week CEPR argued the international community's policies have fed into the referendum's viability.
After a long silence on the issue, the U.S. Biden administration has publicly voiced its opposition, saying it should not take place. The U.S. government has been under mounting pressure by members of Congress and Haitian-American voters to drop support for President Jovenel Moïse and change course on Haiti, reports the Miami Herald.
The only explantation for the international community's continued backing of Moïse is fear, argues Amy Wilenz in the Los Angeles Times. "They haven’t had the imagination to envision a Haiti without a despot at the wheel. The belief among those who advise Haiti has often been that, as the saying goes, you pick Haiti up and it explodes in your face."
- Haiti is grappling with its first serious outbreak of coronavirus -- and has not administered a single Covid-19 vaccine. Last month, infections and fatalities rose more than fivefold following the arrival of new variants, in what the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) called a "cautionary tale in just how quickly things can change with this virus," reports Reuters.
Climate Justice and Energy
- Widespread flooding has inundated Guyana, affecting more than 6,900 households across the country. President Irfaan Ali said it one of the worst disasters the country has ever faced and said Guyana must make investments now to implement an adaptation plan to deal with the adverse effects of climate change. Forecasts suggest that the heavier-than-normal rainy season — which has already been blamed for the severe flooding — could continue into July. (New York Times, Stabroek News, Kaieteur News)
- Caribbean Natural Resources Institute has released a podcast mini-series entitled “Blue-green enterprises: Caribbean journeys” which showcases the inspiring stories of six local community micro-enterprises using ocean resources to develop sustainable livelihoods and provide economic opportunities in their communities.
- With ambitious climate goals and initiatives, small island states are leading the way in climate action. The UNDP highlights the example of Jamaican farmers, who are adapting to climate change induced drought with new sustainable farming practices, irrigation and water harvesting systems. Antigua and Barbuda have advanced in the transition to a clean, fossil fuel-free economy and are now scaling up their targets and proposing a move to 100 percent renewable energy in the next two decades.
- Jamaica's government backtracked on plans to allow mining in the Puerto Bueno Mountain, but activists still hope for a Constitutional Court ruling on their challenge to the St. Anne development, reports the Jamaica Gleaner.
- The impacts of this year's Atlantic Hurricane season will be compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the explosive eruptions of the La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, warned the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. (See June 7's Updates.)
- Puerto Rico isn’t ready for another hurricane season, let alone the effects of climate change, according to a new study. (Futurity)
- Over one million Puerto Rican homes have suffered energy outages this month, as a private company that took over power transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico has struggled to maintain already flawed service, reports the Associated Press.
- A lawyer has signaled increasing allegations of police brutality in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including from members of the Regional Security System team who are in the country helping with security after April’s eruption of La Soufriere. (iWitness News)
- Vibrant, poignant murals have been appearing on the walls of Jamaica's capital as part of Paint the City, a project by the nonprofit Kingston Creative to revive the city's neglected downtown district and support the local arts community. Since the project's launch in 2018, locals say the area feels safer, and the flow of visitors and tourists coming to see the paintings is bringing in both interest and investment, reports Reuters.
Economics and Finance
- Suriname requested a 70% nominal haircut on its debt to external commercial creditors and a 30% cut on its debt to official creditors, last week. (Reuters)
- Suriname's debt restructuring proposal could have potentially huge implications for other ongoing processes of debt crisis resolution, argues Eurodad economist Daniel Munevar.
Gender and LGTBQI
- Sexual harassment is both extremely common and chronically under reported in the Cayman Islands, according to the findings of a Cayman Compass project.
- Over 900 people signed the petition by Feministas Cubanas on Change.org, requesting the Cuban government to open up a corridor of humanitarian flights from the US. Basic essentials, such as medicine and personal hygiene items, would enter the island via this corridor, without Customs restrictions. (Havana Times)
- Because of Covid-19 regulations, LGBTQ+ organizations in the Caribbean are taking varied approaches to Pride celebrations. (Erasing 76 Crimes)
Drug Policy
- Jamaican regulators and policymakers are focusing on quality control as the cannabis industry awaits long-delayed rules for exports, reports Cannabis Wire.
- Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival was suspended this year, which deprived Trinidadians of one of the most important social events, and a large part of the local cultural industry lost income and livelihood. The devastation wrought on the entire culture value chain will have a long-lasting impact on the creative economy, writes Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean. (Trinidad Express)
- Rajiv Mohabir’s Antiman: A Hybrid Memoir is described as "an impassioned, genre-blending memoir that navigates the fraught constellations of race, sexuality, and cultural heritage that have shaped his experiences as an Indo-Guyanese queer poet and immigrant to the United States." -- Repeating Islands
- Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi’s documentary ‘Bakosó: AfroBeats of Cuba’ explores a recent transatlantic musical fusion -- Rolling Stone.
We welcome comments and critiques on the Caribbean News Updates, which is still a work in progress. You can see the Updates on our website, as well as receive it directly through the mailing list. Thank you for reading.
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