Above: National Security Minister Sen. Dwight Nelson, Finance Minister Audley Shaw and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness (Photo: OPM Jamaica) By David P Rowe Op-Ed Contributor In 1554, Lady Jane Grey was, for nine days, Queen of England before her execution at Tower Green. Andrew Holness may find himself a nine-day Prime Minister of Jamaica […]

By Robert Di Pano Caribbean Ponzi schemer David Smith, whose OLINT scheme defrauded investors across Florida and the Caribbean out of over $220 million, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison in the United States by Judge Mary Scriven. “Judge Scriven was severe on David Smith after characterizing his Ponzi scheme as being […]

By Paige Reese Op-Ed Contributor Blood, sweat, and tears undoubtedly contributed to the enactment of Jamaica’s Plea Negotiations and Agreements Act in 2010. Though this appears to have been a necessary step toward resolving Jamaica’s clogged court system, debate rages about whether or not the legislation is ineffective. Serving as a model for the Jamaican […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor Jamaican-American citizens were positively surprised by US President Barack Obama’s bold move to permit young illegal immigrants to work and study in the United States. One of the major problems fueling crime in Jamaica is the arrival of deportees from the United States who are culturally and socially disoriented when […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor Christopher Coke received a 23-year sentence Friday for racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering from Judge Robert Patterson Of the Southern District of New York. According to witness testimony, Coke used a chainsaw to cut a man up while Coke’s henchmen […]

By the Caribbean Journal staff Jamaican reggae star Beenie Man has regained his United States visa, he announced today in a release. According to a spokesperson, Beenie Man, whose real name is Moses David, said he re-affirmed his “commitment to decency and family values as integral aspects of Jamaican reggae music.” Beenie Man was represented […]

More than 32 million people visited the Caribbean in 2023, and that number should be eclipsed by the end of this year. In other words, the Caribbean is more popular than ever — deepening its position not just as the world’s premier warm-weather destination but, in our opinion, as the most complex, diverse, vibrant destination on […]

There’s a new epicenter in the world of Caribbean rum: the island of St Barth.  In a turbulent year around the world, the island played host to the ultimate rum experience of 2020: the Caribbean Rum Awards and St Barth Rum Festival, which concluded this weekend.  This year’s third annual Caribbean Rum Awards drew a […]

Next to smell, there’s nothing like music to spark memories. So while we can’t bring you the fragrance of Frangipani (or even suntan lotion), these 15 songs capture the memory of times spent relaxing on Caribbean beaches, drinking rum drinks at resort bars, and dancing at sunset on party boats. Of course the whole list […]

By David P. Rowe CJ Contributor Moses Delgado was as one of the leading businessmen in nineteenth century Jamaica as well as being a civil rights leader and pioneer in the commercial development of Kingston — and a major figure in the Jewish history of Jamaica. Moses was born in London, England in 1789 and accompanied […]

By David P. Rowe CJ Contributor One of the Caribbean’s political giants of the 20th century was Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, a lawyer, statesman and patriot who survived the violent attempted coup in Trinidad. Robinson was born on the island of Tobago, where his father was the headmaster of the local Methodist school. Robinson helped […]

Our new Caribbean History feature takes a look at the major people and moments in the history of the region. By David P. Rowe One of the most important Caribbean leaders of the 20th century was Maurice Bishop. His career as a politician, civil rights leader and Caribbean statesman led to significant social change in […]

Leading scholars from Florida and Jamaica convened at the University of Miami School of Law this past week for a high-level discussion on Jamaica’s ongoing crime problem. The panel discussion, convened by Caribbean law expert and University of Miami Adjunct Law Professor and Miami attorney David P. Rowe, looked at problems involving crime and potential […]

Jamaica’s love affair with the Greatest. By David Rowe CJ Contributor Jamaicans first embraced then-Cassius Clay in 1964 after listening to his upset victory over the champion Sonny Liston on rediffusion radio. He was then young and brash and declared himself the “Greatest.” Sonny Liston was considered by Jamaicans to hit so hard that a […]

By David P. Rowe CJ Contributor The news this week that Tony Cozier had died was shattering and tragic for many cricket fans internationally and fans of West Indian cricket especially. For those of us who were children and cricket fans during the 1970s and 1980s, he was an authority on both cricket and life. […]

The University of Miami School of Law hosted a major summit this week focusing on the question of reparations for slavery in the Caribbean. The conference, led by University of Miami Caribbean Law professor David P. Rowe and the school’s Association of Caribbean Law Students, brought together some of the leading minds in the field […]

Jamaica’s diplomatic future By David P Rowe Op-Ed Contributor Now that Jamaica has benefitted from a Presidential visit by the United States’ Barack Obama, what is next for the country? And what should be next for Jamaica’s relationship with the rest of the world? Domestically, Jamaica must continue to make civic progress; the reduction of […]

By David P Rowe Op-Ed Contributor During the recent Greek debt crisis, commentators have been referring to Jamaica as an example of another country with a huge debt burden. This is true — Jamaica’s gross public debt hovers higher than 120% of GDP, one of the highest rates of any country in the world. That […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor What first came across from last week’s visit to Jamaica by United States President Barack Obama was the pride. Jamaica was proud to host what was the first visit to the country by a sitting US president in 33 years. Despite Jamaica’s continued challenges, they did not stop most Jamiacans […]

Above: United States President Barack Obama By Alexander Britell United States President Barack Obama will be visiting the Caribbean next month. In what will be his first visit to the region since 2011, Obama will be making an official visit to Jamaica on April 9. The visit was announced by Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor The Caribbean is a region of small islands surrounded by water. In an increasingly competitive global economic and political climate, these island can no longer remain islands. But what’s the future of Caribbean regionalism? That brings us to the CARICOM question. CARICOM is the economic union of Caribbean nations and dependencies […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor The government of Jamaica recently issued a statement criticizing the current bombardment of Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces. The statement was signed by Ambassador Courtenay Rattray. Of course, the Jamaican position does not differ greatly from that of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and that of the foreign […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor THERE ARE a number of big legal cases which have attracted the attention of Jamaicans both locally and overseas in recent months, most notably the recently-concluded Vybz Kartel case. What’s noteworthy about almost all of them is just how long they seem to take. But why do criminal cases in […]

Above: Vybz Kartel By the Caribbean Journal staff Dancehall star Vybz Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Jamaican court on Thursday. Kartel and his three co-defendants all received a life sentence. Kartel was sentenced following a murder conviction last month by a 10-1 verdict. It will be 35 years before Kartel is eligible for […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor THE JAMAICA OBSERVER newspaper recently reported Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller indicating that there would be no cabinet reshuffle in Jamaica in the near future. This may not be very good news for the country, however, as there is a growing unease about the general lack of economic activity, the […]

By David Rowe Op-Ed Contributor It’s not easy getting from island to island in the Caribbean. Seemingly every month, Caribbean politicians and government officials do their own version of island hopping, either for CARICOM events or intra-regional dialogue. But in the digital age, is this still necessary? Skype, international videoconference, e-mail, Twitter, Facebook and text […]