December 6, 2023

VOL. XLII NO. 2145 WEEK OF DECEMBER 6 - 12, 2023

WWW.NYCARIBNEWS.COM

(OUT OF TOWN)

GUYANA - VENEZUELA

JAMAICA

AMONG THE SAFEST COUNTRIES Ranked by the Gallup Organization in it’s 2023 Law and Order Global Report

Page 16 NEW YORK STATE

MORE CANNABIS RETAIL STORES NYS Supreme Court lifts injunction that had blocked the State from allowing more retail stores

Page 6

UWI

CHOCOLATES ENTER BARBADIAN MARKET The soft launch of the Cocoa Research Centre’s (CRC) chocolates, exceeded expectations in scale and participation

Page 4

NEW YORK CITY

EXPEDITES WORK PERMITS FOR MIGRANTS

Federal Officials are now working to expand intake centers for faster processing

Page 6

ON THE EDGE OF WAR OVER ESSEQUIBO TERRITORY VENEZUELA REFERENDUM TO ANNEX UN COURT RULES NO CHANGE TO BORDERS TENSION HEIGHTENS

HAITI

COUP LEADER GUY PHILIPPE Repatriated to Haiti - Concerns over his presence in Haiti

Page 5

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PM MOTTLEY WARNS COP28

QUEENS, NY

MURDER OF FOUR RELATIVES

By Jamaican migrant who refused help with mental illness by relatives Page 14

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‘NO COP-OUT’

ON THE BILLIONS TO FUND ANSWER TO CLIMATE CRISIS

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CaribNews OPED Overcoming the Oil and Gas Industry’s Influence at COP28

by Ben Jealous - P 8

EDITORIAL Vice President Harris Makes History in Senate with 32nd Tie-Breaking Vote

by Stacy M. Brown - P 8

HEALTH NYS – Four Million New Yorkers Affected by Medical Data Breach - P 16

SPORTS Mexico Tops Panama, Wins Gold Cup - P 20

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

AFRICA Somalia floods, Sudan cholera update, genocide prevention Speaking from the southern city of Rafah, Dr. Rick Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described further bloodshed after the resumption of Israeli bombing last Friday.

“The situation is getting worse by the hour,” Dr. Peeperkorn told journalists in Geneva via video link. “I mean…there’s intensified bombing going on all around and including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah.”

The WHO medic noted that in the last couple of days there had also been “a vastly increasing number” of internally displaced people travelling from the Middle area “and even now the southern areas”, fearing for their lives.

Echoing those concerns, UN Children’s Fund spokesperson James Elder cited international humanitarian law that obliges militaries to “take all feasible measures” to protect civilians. It was not acceptable to unilaterally declare that they should go to “so-called safe zones”, he insisted, when these were in fact “sidewalks” or “half-built buildings” without water, shelter or sanitation.

“It’s not a safe zone if it’s only free from bombardment, as some zones have not been,” Mr. Elder said.

Security Council agrees to terminate UN mission in Sudan

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Sudan’s military Government, whose forces have been battling the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia for control of the country since April, has said that the UN mission was failing to meet expectations.

The end of the UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) comes against the backdrop of the continuing war raging between rival militaries that has claimed over 6,000 lives, driven millions from their homes, led to abhorrent sexual and gender-based violence, and precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis.

Adopting resolution 2715 (2023) by 14 votes in favour and one abstention (Russia), the Security Council requested UNITAMS “immediately start on 4 December 2023, the cessation of its operations and the process of the transfer of its tasks, where appropriate and to the extent feasible, to UN agencies, funds and programmes, with the objective of completing this by 29 February 2024.”

The Council also decided that the Mission’s liquidation shall commence 1 March 2024, and underlined the need for an orderly transition to ensure the safety of UN personnel and the effective functioning of all UN operations.lence wasn’t discussed openly,” he explained. The 15-member Security Council also authorized, for the duration of UNITAMS’ transition and liquidation, “the retention of necessary security personnel” to protect UNITAMS’ staffers, facilities and assets and called on all relevant Sudanese parties to cooperate fully with the UN during the process.

It also called on Sudan to act in accordance with its full legal obligations.

WORLD BRIEFS Desperation intensifies in Gaza amid uncertainty of ‘safe zones’ Speaking from the southern city of Rafah, Dr. Rick Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described further bloodshed after the resumption of Israeli bombing last Friday.

“The situation is getting worse by the hour,” Dr. Peeperkorn told journalists in Geneva via video link. “I mean…there’s intensified bombing going on all around and including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah.”

The WHO medic noted that in the last couple of days there had also been “a vastly increasing number” of internally displaced people travelling from the Middle area “and even now the southern areas”, fearing for their lives.

Echoing those concerns, UN Children’s Fund spokesperson James Elder cited international humanitarian law that obliges militaries to “take all feasible measures” to protect civilians. It was not acceptable to unilaterally declare that they should go to “so-called safe zones”, he insisted, when these were in fact “sidewalks” or “half-built buildings” without water, shelter or sanitation.

“It’s not a safe zone if it’s only free from bombardment, as some zones have not been,” Mr. Elder said.

Russia: UN rights chief denounces outlawing of ‘the international LGBT movement’ Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a claim by the Ministry of Justice that the so-called “international LGBT movement” was committing acts of “an extremist nature” and “inciting social and religious discord”, in violation of the country’s law on countering extremism.

Any organization designated as extremist faces immediate dissolution, and its leaders could receive up to 10 years in prison. ‘Serious’ ramifications The decision exposes human rights defenders and anyone standing up for the rights of LGBT people to being labeled as ‘extremist’, which “serious social and criminal ramifications in Russia,” said Mr. Türk.

“No one should be jailed for doing human rights work or denied their human rights based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” he added. He urged Moscow to immediately repeal laws that place improper restrictions on the work of human rights defenders or that discriminate against LGBT people.

Equality and non-discrimination “The law must uphold and defend the principles of equality and nondiscrimination. The law must never be used to perpetuate inequality and discrimination,” he said.

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

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UN - Court Bars Venezuela from Altering Guyana’s Borders The International Court of Justice delivered its Order on the Request for the indication of provisional measures filed by Guyana on 30 October 2023 in the case concerning Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v.

Venezuela).

It is recalled that in its Request, Guyana stated that “[o]n 23 October 2023, the Government of Venezuela, through its National Electoral Council, published a list of five questions that it plans to put before the Venezuelan people in a . . . ‘Consultative Referendum’ on 3 December 2023”.

According to the Applicant, the purpose of these questions is “to obtain responses that would support Venezuela’s decision to abandon [the current proceedings before the Court], and to resort instead to unilateral measures to ‘resolve’ the controversy with Guyana by formally annexing and integrating into Venezuela all of the territory at issue in these proceedings, which comprises more than two-thirds of Guyana” (see press release 2023/58).

Public hearings on the request submitted

by Guyana were held on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday15 November 2023.

In its Order, which has binding effect, the Court indicates the following provisional measures: “(1) Unanimously, Pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain

from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area; (2) Unanimously, Both Parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.”

Judge SEBUTINDE appends a declaration to the Order of the Court; Judge ROBINSON appends a separate opinion to the Order of the Court; Judge ad hoc COUVREUR appends a separate opinion to the Order of the Court.

History of the proceedings On 29 March 2018, Guyana filed an Application instituting proceedings against Venezuela with respect to a dispute concerning “the legal validity and binding effect of the Award regarding the Boundary between the Colony of British Guiana and the United States of Venezuela, of 3 October 1899”.

As basis for the jurisdiction of the Court, the Applicant invokes Article IV, paragraph 2, of the “Agreement to Resolve the Controversy between Venezuela and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland over the Frontier between Venezuela and British Guiana”, signed at Geneva on 17 February

1966 (the “Geneva Agreement”), and the decision of 30 January 2018 by which the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in accordance with that Agreement, chose the Court as the means to be used for the settlement of the controversy.

On 18 June 2018, Venezuela informed the Court that it considered that the Court manifestly lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and that it had decided not to take part in the proceedings. The Court then decided to address first the question of its jurisdiction.

In its Judgment delivered on 18 December 2020, the Court found that it had jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by Guyana

in so far as it concerned the validity of the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.

Further to the filing of preliminary objections by Venezuela on 7 June 2022, the Court, in its Judgment of 6 April 2023, rejected Venezuela’s preliminary objection concerning the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction and found that it could adjudicate upon the merits of Guyana’s claims, in so far as they fall within the scope of the Court’s jurisdiction as defined in the operative clause of its Judgment of 18 December 2020.

Guyana – Vigilant After Venezuela Referendum on its Borders

Following Venezuelans’ resounding vote in favor of seizing an oil-rich border area that comprises more than two-thirds of its territory, Guyana declared it will stay “vigilant.”

Foreign Minister Hugh Todd told the press, “We have to always remain vigilant.

Of course, our monitoring must be always at a high level. President Maduro, while we

don’t believe he will order an invasion… can do something that can be very unpredictable.”

More over half of Venezuela’s eligible voters participated in the referendum, which produced a 95% “yes” result, according to Caracas earlier.

For many years, Venezuela has claimed ownership of Essequibo, a region that Guyana has ruled over for more than a century and where 125,000 of its 800,000 residents reside.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is now hosting litigation on the appropriate boundaries.

The former colony of the British and Dutch, Guyana, maintains that the borders were set in 1899 by an arbitration tribunal.

However, Venezuela asserts that the Essequibo River to the east of the region forms a natural boundary and has long been acknowledged as such, despite the fact that it does not acknowledge the ICJ’s jurisdiction over the issue.

Since ExxonMobil discovered oil in Essequibo in 2015, the argument has been more intense.

The vote was called by Caracas after Georgetown began selling off oil blocks in

Essequibo at auction in August.

In the referendum on Sunday, voters were asked five questions, including whether or not Venezuela should accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and reject the arbitration ruling from 1899.

They were also questioned if the Guyanese, who currently reside in a new state called “Guyana Esequiba State,” should be granted Venezuelan citizenship.

Venezuelans were heavily urged to vote “yes,” yet none opposed the proposal.

In an effort to allay early concerns about the turnout, National Electoral Council president Elvis Amoroso announced on Monday that more than 10.4 million of the 20.7 million registered voters had cast votes.

Opposition lawmakers and others expressed skepticism about the preliminary results, claiming it seemed voters’ answers to the five referendum questions would have been treated as individual votes cast.

Doubts were stoked by the low voter turnout seen at polling places in Caracas and other cities.

The 10.4 million votes that President Nicolas Maduro and Amoroso declared on

Monday represent the largest turnout in Venezuelan election history.

Maduro has celebrated an “overwhelming victory.”

“We have taken the first steps of a new historic stage in the struggle for what belongs to us, to recover what the liberators left us,” he noted.

The referendum stoked concerns about Venezuela’s long-term plans for the disputed area in Guyana and elsewhere.

Todd informed the news media that Guyana would keep up defense cooperation with the US and other key allies while pursuing diplomatic measures to get Venezuela to submit the matter to the ICJ for final decision-making.

“We have already made it clear that we will abide by the ruling of the court,” he noted.

The court denied Georgetown’s plea for immediate intervention, but it did urge Caracas to refrain from taking any actions that would impact the disputed territory.

The vote, according to Guyana, presents an “existential” threat to the nation since it might allow Venezuela to “unilaterally and illegally” annex the area.

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Barbados – PM Mottley Warns COP28 Over Rising Temperatures At a recent address at the International Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai, the prime minister of Barbados advocated for stricter regulations on methane. Mia Mottley also referred to climate change as “a death sentence for many.”

She explained, “The reality is that the global methane agreement that the world needs to see has not yet come.”

She continued, “While we are seeing countries move towards greater regulation, we need to be able to have concrete action with respect to the controlling of methane, largely because its damage in the near term is far greater than even CO2.”

Moving forward, Mottley said that oil and gas corporations have to take a more proactive stance in cutting back on emissions.

“We need strong regulation and compliance to ensure that we can minimize the extent to which that continues to lead and hurt the world in the hotter temperatures,” Mottley noted.

Mottley also expressed gratitude for the advancements made thus far, citing the loss and damage fund, but demanded more funding for it.

“We want to thank all for the progress that we’ve made so far. Whether it is loss and

damage, the fund that has been created but really needs now to be properly capitalized. The recognition that loss and damage alone, however, is only a part of the equation because for every dollar that we spend before disaster, we can save $7 in damage and, indeed, in loss of lives.”

Seen as a significant first day of progress at this year’s UN climate summit, nearly all of the world’s governments finalized on Thursday the formation of a fund to assist pay countries suffering to cope with loss and damage caused by climate change.

Certain nations immediately began contributing funds, such as Germany, which contributed $100 million to the fund, matching the amount contributed by the United Arab Emirates.

Amidst the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, approximately 150 presidents, prime ministers, royals, and other prominent figures attended the annual United Nations Conference of the Parties or COP28.

These leaders showcased their strategies for reducing heat-trapping emissions and primarily aimed to unite with other countries to avert the climate catastrophe that appeared to be increasingly imminent in 2023.

UWI Cocoa Research Centre’s Chocolates Make Enthusiastic Entry into the Barbadian Market

Pro Vice-Chancellor & St. Augustine Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine (second from left), proudly shares samples of the Cocoa Research Centre’s chocolates with [L-R] Professor Clive Landis the Cave Hill Campus Principal, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, The UWI Bookshop Manager, Beverly Smith-Hinkson, while Mr. James “Jimmy” Clarke, President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and Justin Seale, UWI-Souzhou Assistant Registrar at the China Institute of Infor-

A sweet venture unfolded at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Cave Hill Campus on October 20 as The UWI’s world-renowned Cocoa Research Centre (CRC) introduced its signature chocolates to the Barbados market. This

“soft launch”, which coincided with the graduation ceremonies, marked the CRC’s first foray into the Barbadian market. The launch, led by Pro Vice-Chancellor and St. Augustine Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, which was also

attended by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, and the Cave Hill Campus Principal Professor Clive Landis, sets a new benchmark for CRC’s expansion into the region towards growing the appeal for quality, regional chocolate products.

In a significant meeting at the Cave Hill Bookshop, Professor Antoine led discussions with the President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Mr. James “Jimmy” Clarke, and The UWI Bookshop Manager, Beverly Smith-Hinkson which revolved around the potential of CRC’s chocolates in Barbados. The much-coveted ‘Trinitario’ cocoa, is a hybrid between two cocoa types, originated in Trinidad, where the largest gene bank is found. During the two-day expo in Trinidad from October 27-28, local artisans and chocolatiers unveiled an array of beverages, gourmet creations crafted from locally sourced cocoa, and an exquisite display of cocoainspired art and craft.

This year’s expo theme, ‘Experience the Triple Helix,’ highlighted the synergy between the public sector, private enterprises, and academia in fostering industry advancement. The entry of the CRC chocolates into the Barbadian market formed part of the thrust to showcase the

CRC’s commitment to the broader region.

Interestingly, the chocolate-tasting session in Barbados drew in enthusiastic students was a highlight and drew in enthusiastic students and BCCI members alike.

Additionally, the CRC also introduced its exclusive 50g chocolate bars, priced at BD$17.86 (TT$60.00), which are now available for purchase at The UWI bookstore at the Cave Hill Campus, along with other select locations, offering accessible options to purchase and taste the region’s chocolate craftsmanship by a wider audience.

The soft launch of the Cocoa Research Centre’s (CRC) chocolates, exceeded expectations in scale and participation highlighting a new benchmark for innovation, sustainability, and industry collaboration. The response was overwhelmingly positive, prompting The UWI Cave Hill Bookshop to begin selling CRC’s chocolates and to request additional supplies to meet the already growing demand.

Furthermore, the BCCI’s expression of interest in a collaboration signals a promising horizon for CRC’s chocolates in Barbados.

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

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Coup Leader Guy Philippe Repatriated to Haiti

Renowned coup leader Guy Philippe, repatriated by the US government on Thursday, has raised concerns about his potential impact on the already politically unstable and gangviolent nation.

When Philippe returned to Haiti, gangs that had become immensely powerful in the political vacuum left by President Jovenel Moïse’s death in July 2021, it was unclear what role, if any, he anticipated to play.

According to Robert Fatton, a professor of

politics at the University of Virginia and an expert on Haitian affairs, Philippe was a dynamic leader who played a significant role in the 2004 uprising against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and had strong connections to the police, politicians, and business community.

“Whether those kinds of ties will be revised, it’s not clear. What is very clear is that Guy Philippe has always seen himself as some sort of a messianic figure who should lead Haiti,” Fatton remarked.

A well-known news outlet received confirmation from Philippe’s lawyer, Jean Joseph Louicher, that their client had reached Port-auPrince. alluding to a US money laundering accusation to which he entered a guilty plea, he remarked, “We’ve been fighting for four years to reduce the sentence of Guy Philippe to bring him home.”

According to Louicher, he was waiting for Philippe to be released by immigration officials and the Haiti National Police after being processed by policy “so he can go home safely to his family today.”

After stepping off a bus, Philippe—dressed in a gray jumpsuit—was observed entering the Haiti National Police station. He was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

While in exile in the Dominican Republic,

Philippe was charged with organizing assaults against police stations and other targets.

Philippe had previously been the police chief of the seaside city of Cap-Haitien in the north.

In 2004, he went back to Haiti and spearheaded a group of rebels that took control of CapHaitien while participating in an insurrection that resulted in the removal of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

While taking part in a live radio discussion broadcast, Philippe was detained in Haiti in January 2017. He had just been elected to the Senate of Haiti, and to prevent any unrest over his extradition to the United States, officials hurried him to the airport.

After years of successfully avoiding capture and botched attacks on his isolated residence in Haiti’s western coastal area, including US Drug Enforcement Administration officers and helicopters, the former rebel commander was apprehended.

When speaking with The Associated Press in 2016 from his stronghold in Pestel, Philippe declared his innocence of any crimes and his willingness to thwart any efforts by law authorities to apprehend him.

Philippe came before a federal judge in Miami shortly after his arrest in 2017 to answer to ten-year-old narcotics allegations from the US, including money laundering and conspiracy in trafficking cocaine.

In June 2017, he entered a guilty plea to a charge of money laundering and was subsequently sentenced to nine years in jail.

According to the authorities, Philippe, a former senior member of the Haitian National Police, had taken use of his position to guard narcotics shipments in return for payment. He admitted to taking bribes for up to $3.5 million, according to officials.

The lecturer, Fatton, mentioned that Philippe had just given interviews in which he, “clearly said he intends to go back to Haiti and be involved in Haiti, and even much more than he used to be.”

Although Fatton anticipates Philippe to be involved in Haitian politics, he said that there is a great deal of ambiguity about his future since many Haitians don’t understand why the US decided to repatriate him, “when you have a rather explosive situation in the country.”

Furthermore, it’s unknown if Philippe knew Jimmy Chérizier, also known as “Barbecue,” or any other prominent gang boss who was formerly a police officer.

According to court records, Philippe was freed from jail on September 7. The people in and around his former stronghold staged rallies in the weeks that followed, blocking highways and demanding that the government give Philippe travel permits so he could return home.

Caricom Collaborates with US On Prosecuting Gun Smuggling The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, or Caricom IMPACS, will now concentrate more on pursuing all parties engaged in the illicit trafficking of firearms rather than only seizures, following initial negotiations with the US State Department’s Office of Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions.

Governments throughout the Caribbean are still quite concerned about this, as the majority of the guns are linked to the United States.

To help fight this, US Vice President Kamala Harris stated in June that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has established a new section called Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions.

The US State Secretary Anthony Blinken said US prosecutor Michael Ben’Ary had been named the division’s coordinator during his July visit to Trinidad and Tobago.

The DOJ’s office responded to a news media inquiry via email with an update on what has been done since,”(does) not have anything publicly available to provide beyond the announcement at this time.”

Nonetheless, it was also anticipated that the agency would work with Caricom IMPACS. Michael Jones, the executive director of IMPACS, told Sunday Newsday that on November 3, he “had discussions” regarding the partnership.

He expressed gratitude that the collaboration has finally been realized, calling it “a repeated call” from Caricom.

While it’s significant that illicit guns headed

for the Caribbean have been found, Jones, “What success would look like, for us, would be to identify and successfully prosecute all of those persons (sic) (people) who are or were involved from the purchasing done abroad, facilitating the shipment along the way, to those receiving them in our respective home states.”

US customs seized 520 factory-built guns between 2016 and 2021, while the T&T police force confiscated 4,087 between 2017 and 2021, according to a report released by Caricom IMPACS in April 2023.

According to Jones, the majority of this kind of illicit commerce takes place as far west as Texas and along the eastern sea border. He stated that Ben’Ary will not consider matters involving the Caribbean. “…Which essentially coincides with where our diaspora tends to inhabit or be located.”

According to him, the US prosecutes crimes of this nature more quickly than the Caribbean.

“There are 93 US attorneys across (that) country and when these cases happen, (Ben’Ary) would identify the particular US attorney to take this or that particular case as a priority given the political sensitivities concerning the issue.”

Jones also mentioned Ben’Ary “intends to visit as many of the Caribbean countries as possible” – both members of Caricom and those who are not.

A representative for the US Embassy

e-mailed the news media that the US and the Caribbean prioritize stopping the illegal gun trade. “an important aspect of our cooperation to address rising levels of crime and violence in the region.

“US law enforcement and border security agencies and the Department of State work with Caribbean counterparts and regional institutions to build Caribbean capacity to detect and interdict illegally trafficked firearms and ammunition, and promote coordination and information sharing between law enforcement and border security agencies.”

The spokesman stated in September that “Operation Hammerhead” was started in conjunction with Caricom IMPACS by HSI (Homeland Security Investigations), Joint

Task Force East, and CBP (Customs and Border Protection).

“To date, Operation Hammerhead reviewed 211,061 Caribbean-bound exports, referred 1,924 with some level of risk (tiered system), and supported eight firearms trafficking investigations.”

It further added, “During Operation Hammerhead’s time frame – 48 pistols, ten rifles, ten magazines, four revolvers, and 3,371 rounds of ammunition have been seized in/destined for the Caribbean.”

Contact attempts were made by the media outlet to both Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood Christopher and Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, but all messages and calls were not returned.

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Mayor Adams Expands Immigration Application Assistance Centers

NEW YORK – As New York City continues to manage a national asylum seeker crisis largely on its own, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today launched an expansion of the Asylum Application Help Center, scaling up a resource that has helped thousands of asylum seekers complete complex immigration forms as they continue to pursue the American Dream. With funding from the state, the Adams administration will open two satellite sites to assist asylum seekers submit applications for asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and work authorization — critical steps on the path to securing employment and living independently. As the city continues to pursue its own long-term solutions in the absence of a federal strategy, Mayor Adams also convened a Resettlement Working Group to focus on collaborating with national refugee resettlement organizations and municipalities across the country looking to boost declining populations.

The city continues to work diligently to help asylum seekers move from shelter to alternative housing by intensifying casework, reticketing migrants, and providing legal

support so that asylum seekers can become self-sufficient. Thanks in large part to the city’s efforts helping asylum seekers take the next steps in their journeys, more than half of asylum seekers who have come through the city’s shelter system have found alternative accommodations.

“While we continue to call for a national strategy to solve a national crisis, New York City continues to do its part to support asylum seekers,” said Mayor Adams. “For over a year, we have asked the federal government to put forward a resettlement strategy, expedite work authorizations for asylum seekers, and provide New York City with much needed and meaningful financial support. In the absence of that national strategy, New York City continues to lead — building out the legal and resettlement infrastructure needed to address this crisis. We hope the federal government will join us in these efforts and finish the job they started.”

“Our city has done a nation’s work — without a nation’s resources — in responding to the asylum seeker crisis, and our Asylum Application Help Center is the tip of the spear in our efforts to help asylum seekers take the next steps in their journeys,” said

Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “These satellite sites will allow us to process even more applications, getting asylum seekers one step closer to work authorization and self-sufficiency.”

“In less than six months, the Asylum Application Help Center has assisted thousands of individuals and families take important and necessary steps to ultimately continue on their path to self-sufficiency and the American Dream,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “This work will be bolstered by additional satellite sites across the city in order to help even more people. We continue to do our part as a city, and we thank the federal government for their support with work authorizations — but more federal support is needed to help asylum seekers transition more quickly to independence.”

Since opening this summer — bolstered by critical funding from state partners — the city’s help center has supported the filing of over 7,200 asylum applications, approximately 2,900 work authorization applications, and nearly 2,900 TPS applications — more than 13,000 total. The city has additionally helped asylum seekers file over 3,100 work authorization applications during two clinics hosted in partnership with the federal government and city-based nonprofits — totaling more than 16,000 asylum, work authorization, and TPS applications filed thanks to the city’s efforts in recent months.

This month, the city also launched its first satellite sites for immigration application assistance in Harlem and Lower Manhattan, and, in the coming weeks, the city will open additional sites to serve more asylum seekers in the city’s care. Interested asylum seekers can schedule one-on-one appointments at help centers, where trained application assistants provide individualized support to the applicant based on their needs. The city remains on track to identify, screen, and schedule appointments for all eligible Venezuelans who are in the city’s care and qualify for the federal government’s extension and

redesignation of TPS by the end of the year.

Comprised of city officials working on the asylum seeker response, the Resettlement Working Group is meeting with immigrant and refugee resettlement organizations and experts to understand best practices from across the country and the world. The working group will also continue to connect with leaders of cities dealing with large influxes of asylum seekers, as well as with cities in need of people to fill vacant jobs. For over a year, the city has asked the federal government to lead a national resettlement and decompression plan. In the absence of action, New York City continues to lead and invest in long-term strategies like resettlement, legal services, and casework to move asylum seekers out of shelter and onto a path to stability.

Since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has taken fast and urgent action, opening over 210 emergency sites to provide shelter to asylum seekers, including 17 additional large-scale humanitarian relief centers; standing up navigation centers with support from community-based organizations to connect asylum seekers with critical resources; enrolling thousands of children in public schools through Project Open Arms; and more. Earlier this spring, the city released “The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address New York City’s Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis,” detailing how the city will continue to manage the influx of asylum seekers and advocate for support from federal and state partners.

As the Adams administration continues to prioritize helping asylum seekers live independently, without significant or timely state and federal assistance, the city plans to pursue a 20 percent reduction in spending on the migrant crisis in the Fiscal Year 2024 Preliminary Budget, which will be released in January 2024.

NYS – Court Allows More Cannabis Retail Stores

The state of New York was barred from approving new cannabis retail businesses until the state Supreme Court removed an injunction.

The licensing and approval procedure for new retail stores was put on hold by the court injunction. Since August, the state has been prohibited from permitting the opening of new cannabis stores.

In part, a statement issued by Chris Alexander, the executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, stated: “Today is a good day for New York, for

the dream of equity in cannabis, and for every New Yorker hoping to have a legal, licensed cannabis dispensary in their community.”

In a tweet, Gov. Kathy Hochul also stated, “With a court order today, our first-inthe-nation program for justice-involved cannabis licensees is back in business! That means stores opening faster, more places to buy safer, tested, legal cannabis, & with our aggressive enforcement efforts, fewer bad actors in the market.”

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

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CARIBEDITORIAL

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Guyana and Venezuela on the Edge of War Venezuela has escalated significantly its dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo territory by making a bold move, holding a referendum as to whether to exercise sovereignty over Essequibo the last oil rich region that represents about 2/3 of Guyana, and this of course has opened old wounds and has intensified the tension between the two nations. This has been a longstanding row over the border between Guyana and Venezuela, now taken to an unprecedented level by the current move of the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. This long standing dispute between Guyana and Venezuela goes back over 120 years when a legal process was devised in 1897 called the Treaty of Washington, whereby Venezuela agreed with the British that arbitration would be a full perfect and final settlement of the borders; however, Venezuela refused to recognize the result of the arbitration since 1962 and so has claimed that there needs to be a resolution of the Essequibo territory because the Essequibo river and the comprising 2/3 of Guyana landmass, a territory is in

dispute. Despite a treaty obligation, legal consideration and judicial award, and the fact that for 63 years Venezuela has acted in general accord with the treaty, it has however been consistently threatening through subversion and in imitation that the territorial ambition of Essequibo territory was one that they clearly had in mind; this claim has been given new impetus by the finding of some of the largest world crude oil deposits off the coast of the Essequibo, and in light of this President Maduro has intensified his effort to obtain control over the region. In January of 2021 Maduro escalated tension by making a vow to reconquer the Essequibo region which is a Guyanese sovereign territory in the eyes of the international community.

The escalation of the claim to Essequibo

by Venezuela took place when President Maduro ordered a referendum in Venezuela as to whether or not Essequibo should be a part of Venezuela’s territories --this was held on December 3rd- according to Venezuela’s electoral authority more than 95% of the voters supported the country’s

claim; this gives rise to the question, what is President Maduro going to do next. The government of Guyana had previously approached the International Court of Justice for provisional measures and to request that Venezuela take no steps to alter or change the borders. The Court has since ruled that Venezuela should take no steps to interfere with existing borders, and that places the Court fully in support of Guyana but definitely in conflict with Venezuela and its ambition. President Maduro has by his action dismissed the World Court’s jurisdiction over the dispute; he is however under growing international pressure and the threat of US sanctions on his government and Venezuela in fact has its own issue around presidential elections to be held, so clearly this border crisis is providing President Maduro with a distraction, and of course the oil rich territory provides an incentive for Venezuela to pursue its border dispute. It is the general hope of the region that good sense will prevail and that there would be no further escalation and a means of negotiat-

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ing the dispute would be undertaken with international institutions.

The various CARICOM governments have already expressed their desire that the region remain a region of peace and nonconflict and pushing for that to be the outcome. The US has had military advisers in Guyana in the recent days, I guess in preparation for an escalation that might take place, but there can be no winners in a war over Essequibo; it has to be an internationally determined solution where all parties can have their say and can be legally and diplomatically resolved, and so it is our position that there should be no further escalation of the situation, that international institutions and the mechanisms that are in place to resolve these should be used, respected and adhered to, and President Maduro should refrain from taking any further action and continue to try to resolve the issue with Guyaya through the true spirit of the Geneva experience and the UN mechanism.

KARL B. RODNEY PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF TONY BEST SENIOR EDITOR KARLISA RODNEY NEWS EDITOR MELL P MANAGING EDITOR

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

CARIBOPINION

9

Overcoming the Oil and Gas Industry’s Influence at COP28

by Ben Jealous

Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

Those of us with history in the civil rights movement know that taking on entrenched power and changing the status quo requires dogged tenacity and seizing key moments to break down barriers.

The United Nations COP28 summit going on right now in Dubai could be one of those key moments for tackling the climate crisis. To ensure we truly create a better world for us all, we must include the participation of every country.

The biggest obstacle we face is the entrenched power and stubborn influence of the fossil fuel industry – the very cause of the greenhouse gas emissions which are driving global warming. The industry has had a stranglehold on international climate talks and, this year, is showing up to the conference in greater force than perhaps ever before.

Hundreds of oil and gas industry lobbyists usually descend on the COP conferences.

This year, by some unofficial estimates from reporters and watchdog groups, it looks like the number of lobbyists and industry representatives could be more than double what it was at last year’s COP27 in Egypt.

The purpose of the UN climate summit is to assess and improve global efforts to curb global warming. The only way to do that is by drastically reducing emissions – far more than we’re already doing – and that means completely phasing out all fossil fuels.

Two reports released late last month, one by the UN and one by the Rhodium Group consulting firm, reached the same conclusion: the most likely projected temperature increase by the end of this century will be about 3 degrees Celsius based on current trends. Scientists say that any increase over 2 degrees would be catastrophic. And the current trajectory puts us well above the 1.5-degree Celsius target established by the landmark Paris Agreement from COP21 in 2015.

Added to the backdrop of these international negotiations is that this is the hottest year on record, with resulting floods, fires, superstorms, and other extreme weather events impacting humanity in increasingly undeniable ways.

With the urgency so crystal clear, there’s no way that the industry driving the climate crisis should be empowered to the degree it is to protect its own profits at the expense of our planet. By allowing oil and gas companies to have so much power and influence in climate talks, we’re pulling our punches against the greatest existential threat faced by humanity, all to spare those companies a threat to their bottom line.

Of course, plenty of controversy has swirled around the leadup to this year’s COP summit. There’s been no shortage of newspaper ink, and website pixels, dedicated to commentary about the host country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), being a nation built on oil. UAE is part of OPEC – which has played a significant role in obstructing progress in past climate negotiations – and has an oil and

gas company which is one of the largest in the world, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or ADNOC. And the CEO of ADNOC, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, is serving as president of this year’s summit.

Having an oil baron at the helm of the world’s most important event focused on curtailing greenhouse gas emissions is an irony that’s been hard to swallow for many.

At the organization I lead, Sierra Club, we decided to send a delegation to COP28 anyway, in the spirit of hope and determination, as this is a cause too great and too important to be deterred from our efforts – no matter how many foxes are let into the henhouse.

A larger concern of mine has been the voting rules. UN climate talks require all parties involved (in this case, 197 countries plus the European Union) to be unanimous on the adoption of any agreement.

On its face, the requirement for consensus agreement is a way to add greater legitimacy to the conference’s outcomes and ensure that Global South countries, and those most drastically impacted by the climate crisis, have an equal say.

However, it also means that a single oiland gas-rich country, or a small group of them, has veto power over any agreement.

It’s a structural weakness of these summits that has been exploited for decades by oiland gas-rich nations (including the United States) to impede progress.

Just think about how much power that gives an industry that spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lobbying?

Even if every government on the planet

was in basic agreement on some new framework or commitment, fossil fuel companies would only need to convince – or co-opt – the leaders of a single nation to have a game-ending proxy vote.

It’s no surprise that the fossil fuel industry is focused on securing its own future and increasing its wealth. However, that focus is completely at odds with the entire purpose of climate talks like COP28, which is supposed to be the health and wellbeing of humanity, and protecting our fragile planet. To have oil and gas interests influencing global climate talks undermines the whole endeavor. For now, we maintain hope that the gravity of the crisis drives the 197 participating countries to agree on robust, meaningful action. If that doesn’t happen, we need to turn our focus to overhauling the rules for future climate talks so fossil fuel companies, or the countries they influence, can’t continue to sabotage the global effort.

Vice President Harris Makes History in Senate with 32nd Tie-Breaking Vote

by Stacy M. Brown

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, Vice President Kamala Harris broke the previous record set by John C. Calhoun in the 19th century for the most tie-breaking votes cast in the U.S. Senate. Harris has now cast 32 tie-breaking votes, eclipsing Calhoun’s record of 31 during his tenure as vice president from 1825 to 1832.

The latest tiebreaker occurred during the confirmation of Loren Alikhan as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia. As vice president, Harris serves as the president of the Senate, granting her constitutional authority to break ties.

Harris’s accomplishment is noteworthy not only for its historical significance but also in the context of the current political landscape. The U.S. Senate has been narrowly divided throughout the Biden

administration, comprising 48 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and three independents.

Of the independents, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine caucus with Democrats, while Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party in 2022 to register as an independent.

The surge in tie-breaking votes contrasts with previous administrations, as former Vice President Mike Pence cast 13 tie-breaking votes, while President Joe Biden did not cast any during his vice presidential tenure in the eight years of the Obama administration.

In a speech on the Senate floor earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised her historic achievement.

Schumer emphasized the circumstances of Harris’s tenure, characterized by a closely

divided Senate and a highly partisan environment.

He acknowledged the weighty responsibility placed on the vice president as president of the Senate, noting that Harris has played a crucial role in passing pivotal legislation. From the American Rescue Plan to the Inflation Reduction Act and the confirmation of federal judges, Schumer commended Harris for her contributions to the functioning of the Senate.

“When it’s mattered most, Vice President Harris has provided the decisive vote on some of the most historic bills of modern times,” Schumer asserted. “All of us thank her for making the work of the Senate possible.”

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CARIBNEWS

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

CARIBNEWS

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12

CARIBNEWS

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Holiday Shopping

Brooklyn Museum’s Winter Pop-Up Market

Weeksville Winter Market

Saturday, December 9, 2023 Sunday, December 10, 2023 11 am – 5:30 pm Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion, 1st Floor

When: Saturday, December 16 from 11am – 7pm, for a day of shopping local artisan vendors, performances and film screenings, holiday-themed workshops and more! The Winter Market is free and open to the public, no RSVP is needed.

Location: Weeksville Heritage Center, 158 Buffalo Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213

Stop by the holiday market, co-presented with Brooklyn Pop-Up, to shop for one-of-a-kind, handmade items from local artisans and vendors. Selections include artwork, jewelry, fashion, and home and apothecary goods.

This event is free and open to the public.

Weeksville Green Market

All Day -

Shop low cost fruits and vegetables in partnership with Grow NYC. We accept credit and debit cards, applepay, cash, SNAP, Health Bucks, FMNP, FreshConnect coupons, Greenmarket Bucks and WIC for produce purchases.

Live music by DJ Sound City Stretch therapy provided by Slam Duncan Wellness Local artisan market Shop small businesses including: The Herstory Studio, Regal Roots, Bizzee Body LLC, XXVZ Nails, BK Earring Lady, Ayana B. Joy (Aye Shanti LLC), Janet Henry, Scented By Missi, Oko Farms, FOLKUS, Creative Motif, Eulalee Beckford designs, Sscarlet’s Web Bookstore, Thyme Action, Legacy DUMBO

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

CARIBNEWS

13

BLACK DOCTORS, NURSES, CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, FAITH LEADERS AND MANY MORE

SUPPORT ELIMINATING MENTHOL CIGARETTES. For decades, the tobacco industry has targeted Black communities and kids with marketing for menthol cigarettes, their most addictive flavor. Cigarettes kill 45,000 Black Americans each year – it’s the number one cause of preventable death.

We support eliminating menthol cigarettes to save Black lives.

100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA, INC.

ASSOCIATION OF BLACK WOMEN PHYSICIANS

AFRICAN AMERICAN TOBACCO CONTROL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

BLACK MEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE

AFRICAN AMERICAN WELLNESS PROJECT ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. ASSOCIATION OF BLACK CARDIOLOGISTS

BLACK WOMEN’S HEALTH IMPERATIVE

NAACP

SAVE A GIRL, SAVE A WORLD

NATIONAL BLACK EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL

THE ARC OF JUSTICE

NATIONAL BLACK NURSES ASSOCIATION

BLACK WOMEN’S ROUNDTABLE

NATIONAL CAUCUS AND CENTER ON BLACK AGING, INC.

CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST SOCIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN, INC.

MOCHA MOMS, INC.

NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

PAID FOR BY TOBACCO-FREE KIDS ACTION FUND

THE CENTER FOR BLACK HEALTH & EQUITY THE NATIONAL COALITION ON BLACK CIVIC PARTICIPATION THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN THE USA

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CARIBBRIEFS

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Caricom Collaborates with Guyana Can Access Up To US on Prosecuting Gun US$550M in Loans from Smuggling IDB The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, or Caricom IMPACS, will now concentrate more on pursuing all parties engaged in the illicit trafficking of firearms rather than only seizures, following initial negotiations with the US State Department’s Office of Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions.

Governments throughout the Caribbean are still quite concerned about this, as the majority of the guns are linked to the United States.

To help fight this, US Vice President Kamala Harris stated in June that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has established a new section called Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions.

The US State Secretary Anthony Blinken

said US prosecutor Michael Ben’Ary had been named the division’s coordinator during his July visit to Trinidad and Tobago.

The DOJ’s office responded to a news media inquiry via email with an update on what has been done since,”(does) not have anything publicly available to provide beyond the announcement at this time.”

Nonetheless, it was also anticipated that the agency would work with Caricom IMPACS. Michael Jones, the executive director of IMPACS, told Sunday Newsday that on November 3, he “had discussions” regarding the partnership.

Full statement issued by the IDB: The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Bank (IDB) approved a new Country Strategy with Guyana for 2023 through 2026. The strategy is focused on resilient infrastructure, human capital development with an emphasis on improving health and education outcomes and social services and strengthening institutional capacity.

With an indicative lending pipeline of US$550 million from the sovereign side of the bank, the strategy aims to continue supporting Guyana as it pursues sustainable development and inclusive growth within a diversified economy.

Additionally, there is an expected increase in private sector activities from IDB Invest,

the private sector arm of the IDB Group in keeping with the economy’s growth trajectory and to foster access to longer-term financing for Guyana’s private sector. This will strengthen the development of Guyana’s private sector by deepening its links to the booming economy and improving the business climate in non-oil industries through productivity-enhancing, resilient infrastructure and a better equipped labor force.

This new strategy puts people at the center, reflecting the government’s commitment to improve the well-being of the Guyanese population hand in hand with the economic growth. Through these areas of support, the IDB will further contribute to Guyana’s economic transformation...

Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake And Others Recorded in Eastern Caribbean BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Several earthquakes were reported in the Caribbean overnight into early Saturday with the strongest having a magnitude of 6.0 that was recorded northeast of Guadeloupe.

According to the Trinidad-based UWI Seismic Research Center, the events have worried people in the Caribbean.

“Please note that our region is a seismically active one and we can feel events in a short period of time. This is why we always urge persons to plan, prepare and practice for any earthquake event,” the centre said in a statement.

The magnitude 6.0 earthquake was recorded near Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat around 4:48 am (local time) on Saturday at a depth of 16 km.

According to the Automatic Earthquake Location from the research centre, the quake was felt in Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat.

“This one was reported as being felt very strong by social media users in Guadeloupe, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis and Montserrat.”

Meanwhile, on Friday night several earthquakes were also recorded near the same chain of islands.

NYC – Queens Killer of Four is a Jamaican Migrant Who Refused Help Months before the Bronx man was brutally shot by responding police after he reportedly fatally stabbed four relatives at a Far Rockaway house on Sunday, he had refused treatment for serious mental health problems that his family had discovered.

This is according to his aunt and cousin.

Lillian McKoy, a resident of the Bronx, claimed that her nephew Courtney Gordon, the 38-year-old police officer suspected of carrying out a gruesome domestic slaying at 467 Beach 22nd St., had shown concerning behavior earlier in the year, prompting his sister and mother to seek treatment from mental health specialists. In the main room of her Eastchester

apartment, McKoy stated, “But he, in turn, reversed it and began to tell them they’re the ones that need help, he is fine,” she added, “He refused to go.”

Gordon was discovered leaving the Far Rockaway residence with bags when police arrived in response to a 911 call at around five in the morning on Sunday, and when they got close to him, he stabbed two of them with knives, according to the NYPD. Gordon was then shot by a cop, and according to the police, he subsequently passed away from his wounds.

As of early Monday afternoon, the victims’ identities remained unknown.

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

CARIBNEWS

15

MTA Best Way Around Town During Gridlock Alert Days

Discounted CityTicket Offers Travel Within New York City on LIRR & Metro-North for Just $5 Off Peak and $7 Peak LIRR Service to the East Side of Manhattan Sparked 41% LIRR Service Increase in 2022 With the New York City Department of Transportation declaring Tuesday, Dec. 5, as the 12th of 19 Gridlock Alert days this season, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is today reminding the public that the best way to avoid getting

stuck in gridlock – and contributing to it – is to ride the most extensive public transportation system in North America, including the nation’s busiest commuter railroads offering more than 1,600 trains a day to 250 stations over 5,000 square miles.

Getting around town can now be easier and less expensive on the LIRR and Metro-North than ever before thanks to the expansion of the discounted CityTicket, which is now available for travel within New York City on all Metro-North and LIRR trains 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The ticket costs just $5 during off-peak times and $7 during peak times, just like it’s cousin the Far Rockaway Ticket, which offers travel to and from Far Rockaway for the same prices. The LIRR increased service by 41% in in February with the opening of Grand Central Madison, and the two railroads have 42 stations within New York City.

Real time information about upcoming train arrivals are available on the MTA’s TrainTime app, which also allows riders to buy and display tickets.

“Congestion has a stranglehold on New York’s quality of life and economy, and the MTA is making it easier than ever to avoid

it by increasing commuter rail service and bringing down prices,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Gridlock Alert days are a great time to try the $5 City Ticket and take advantage of LIRR’s historic 41% service increase – with trains now bringing passengers right to the East Side of Manhattan. Has anything gone down in price since the pandemic? Yes, monthly ticket prices on both commuter railroads are cheaper now than before the pandemic.”

Of course, the subway offers frequent service throughout all parts of the central business district and beyond, with trains on many lines operating every three minutes or less during rush hours.

The MTA offers customers a variety of ways to receive real-time and planned service change information, as well as 24/7 customer support in their native language.

MYmta app – Customers who use the comprehensive MYmta smartphone app will see real-time train and bus arrival times and other travel information for all MTA services all in one place. The app is available in the Apple Store and in Google Play Store.

MTA.info – The definitive source for real-time arrival information and service change information for each line or route in the MTA system. Customers can find current statuses on mta.info and upcoming planned service changes using our lookup tool at mta.info/alerts.

511 – For those who prefer to contact the MTA by telephone, information is available by dialing 511. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the MTA at 511.

Email & Text Alerts – Customers can sign up for email and SMS alerts tailored to their specific commutes and travel times.

They can also sign up for MTA newsletters like The Weekender, a weekly newsletter that covers major weekend planned service changes. Customers can sign up here.

WhatsApp – Riders can chat with NYC Transit via WhatsApp for 24/7 customer assistance. With the help of Google Translate, NYC Transit staff offer real-time customer support in up to 108 languages.

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CARIBHEALTH

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

NYS – Four Million New Yorkers Affected by Medical Data Breach

New York Attorney General Letitia James warned New Yorkers impacted by a data breach at a medical transcription company, Perry Johnson & Associates, to take action to prevent potential identity theft. The company experienced a data breach affecting nearly nine million patients, including approximately four million New Yorkers in New York City and Syracuse. Northwell Health and Crouse Health have been affected by this data breach, and most individuals whose data was impacted have been notified. Attorney General James advises affected New Yorkers to protect themselves and their information from theft and impersonation.

Perry Johnson & Associates is a Nevada-based company that provides transcription services to healthcare organizations and physicians for dictating and transcribing patient notes. In May 2023, Perry Johnson & Associates became aware of a breach affecting their systems. The medical transcription company said the data impacted includes some social security numbers and insurance and clinical information from medical transcription files.

“I urge all New Yorkers affected by this data

breach to stay alert and take these important steps to protect themselves,” said Attorney General James. “Bad actors can use the stolen information to impersonate individuals or cause financial harm. Identity theft is a serious issue, and my office will continue to take action to keep New Yorkers safe.”

Attorney General James urges anyone who believes they were impacted by this to take the following steps to protect themselves: Monitor your credit. Credit monitoring services track your credit report and alert you whenever a change is made, such as a new account or a large purchase. Most services will notify you within 24 hours of any change to your credit report.

Consider placing a free credit freeze on your credit report. Identity thieves will not be able to open a new credit account in your name while the freeze is in place. You can place a credit freeze by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax | https://www.equifax.com/personal/ credit-report-services/credit-freeze +1 (888) 766-0008 Experian | https://www.experian.com/freeze/

center.html +1 (888) 397-3742 TransUnion | https://www.transunion.com/ credit-freeze +1 (800) 680-7289 Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before issuing credit. You can place a fraud alert by contacting any one of the three major credit bureaus.

Obtain copies of your medical records. Contact your doctors, clinics, health care providers, pharmacy, and insurance company to get copies of your medical records. Review the records for anything you do not recognize. After a review of your medical records, report any errors and ask for corrections from your health care providers.

Contest unrecognized medical billing: Wrongdoers may receive medical services in your name where you receive the bill. You should contest anything you do not recognize.

Inform your insurance company. Tell your insurance provider of any suspected fraud and find out if they have specific protocols for these situations. If the attack is related to Medicare, contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General

online or at 800-447-8477.

If you fall victim to medical identity theft, you should consider filing a report with the FTC online or at 877-438-4338.

Jamaica - Listed by Gallup as One of the Safest Countries in the World

Gallup Inc., the international analytics firm, has rated Jamaica as among the world’s safest countries by visitor perception.

The company recently released the findings of its Global Law and Order Report, which tracks perceptions of personal security and trust in the rule of law across 140 countries and areas.

Each country is eventually given a law and order index score out of 100.

The Gallup report has Jamaica sharing company with New Zealand, Costa Rica and Cyprus.

The report also said Jamaica scored 75 out of a maximum 100 points, which ranks the island among the safest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, coming slightly ahead of the US territory of Puerto Rico at 74, followed by Brazil, 73; Argentina, 70; Mexico, 66; Venezuela, 66; the Dominican Republic, 64; Peru, 61; and Ecuador, 59.

Topping the list was Tajikistan at 96; Finland and Iceland both at 92, while the United States of America, United Kingdom and Canada all scored 83 points.

Jamaica’s score is despite consistently ranking among the countries with the highest murder rates in the world.

Senior Advisor and Strategist in Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright is welcomed the designation, saying, “The safety of every Jamaican and every visitor matters greatly. Notably, the crime rates against visitors remains extremely low, hovering at around 0.01 percent and already our visitor numbers are double digit percentages ahead of 2019 and 2022.

Jamaica is a buzz like never before and millions have visited over the years without incident.”

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

CARIBA&E

17

Etienne Charles, Chucho Valdes Performing In T&T Cuban pianist, composer, and seven-time Grammy winner Chucho Valdés is described by popular New York Times news media, as “A pianist of imperial command, possessed of a dazzling, deceptively casual virtuosity,” and identifies Etienne Charles, a composer and trumpet player from Trinidad, as “an auteur.”

On December 16 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Frederick Street, Port of Spain, these two significant musicians from the Caribbean will play for the first event of HADCO Experiences’ entry into the upscale event sector with A Creole Christmas Gift: Concert and Cocktails.

According to a press release, Charles’ astute insights and the plaudits bestowed by the international press will influence what concertgoers will see and hear.

Recently, Charles talked about the concert and the significance of Valdés, the main act, to the occasion and the Caribbean. He noted in a recent statement, “I think, one, it’s special, and two, it’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime event for TT to have an artist of this magnitude in what I would say is such an intimate setting.”

“Chucho Valdés is probably one of the most influential, not only musicians, but composers and recording artists of the 21st century, and the 20th century. He possesses a vast knowledge of not just the piano, but composition and music, as well as spirituality. To have him on our shores for a concert is special!”

Charles clarified, “A big part of what I see as the Caribbean artistic aesthetic is about clarity, and when I think of Chucho Valdés, I think about clarity. I think of his ideas being expressed musically without any stumbles. I think of his body of work as having a huge impact in terms of where he is taking his music, and what he has been an ambassador for. I mean, he has been an ambassador for jazz, an ambassador for Cuba, an ambassador for the Caribbean, an ambassador for black people, an ambassador for the Orishas - ways that he represents, and at the end of the day, it’s always with the highest level of artistry and the highest levels of diplomacy. He can use music as a tool to communicate peace, and to communicate how music is supposed to energize people and keep us together in civilized ways.”

It is impossible to overstate or undervalue Valdés’ significance. In the Caribbean jazz scene, he is a titan. According to the announcement, Charles had the good fortune to travel with this icon and his large band during the past several months, taking them to Europe and North America, where they played to thousands of sold-out crowds at venues.

In keeping with his views, Charles said “It’s always incredible to see Chucho’s reach. It’s refreshing also, as a Caribbean man, to see the possibilities of global acceptance of Caribbean music when it is, one, presented correctly, and two when there is an opportunity for this music

Sheryl Lee Ralph Doc to Premiere on Hulu

December 1, 2023, which is also World AIDS Day, will see the Hulu debut of “Unexpected,” a short documentary about Black women living with HIV in the South.

Emmy-winning producer of “Abbott Elementary,” Sheryl Lee Ralph, and director Zeberiah Newman’s “Unexpected” film follows activists Masonia Traylor and Ciarra Ci Ci Covin as they establish an underground network to assist and support women living with HIV in the rural South.

The 2023 edition of the Essence Film Festival marked the film’s Oscar-qualifying debut. It went on to win Silver at the Telly Awards and an Award of Excellence at the IMPACT Docs Awards and the Accolade Global Film Competition. The SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the DC Black Film Festival, the Black Women Film Network, the Detroit Black Film Festival, the Women’s Film Festival, and the Cleveland Film Festival have all shown it.

Ralph’s charitable organization, The DIVA Foundation, bought the movie.

On December 1, ABC-owned stations will webcast this year’s “DIVAS Simply Singing!

Raising Health Awareness” charity perfor-

mance. Renowned performers Ralph, Anthony Hamilton, Dianne Reeves, Amber Riley, and Saycon Sengbloh are featured in the hour-long special, which is powered by Gilead Sciences.

Other guests include Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, Tatyana Ali, Ken Allen, William Stanford Davis, Braddee Evans, Terri Shepherd, Robin Thede, and Lisa Ann Walter.

The event, which was recorded in front of a live audience at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, featured honors for Tina Knowles and U.S. Representative Barbara Lee. The DIVA Foundation executive director Norman Lee noted, “Our relationship with ABCowned television stations and Hulu is a very important one because of our combined desire to amplify stories around health disparities, especially those affecting women in vulnerable communities.”

On Peacock, Jeffrey Schwartz’s “Commitment to Life,” a feature documentary documenting Hollywood’s early reaction to the AIDS crisis and the founding of AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), will also debut in honor of World AIDS Day. “Marty’s Place: Where Hope Lives,” a half-hour program produced by Plus Life Media, will premiere on December 2 on KGO. It will also be rebroadcast on KGO-TV and ABC’s Localish network.

The show, which is narrated by Karl Schmid of Plus Life and ABC7 LA, showcases Marty’s Place, a non-profit in San Francisco that offers a secure and encouraging environment to those living with HIV/AIDS. Paul Aguilar, Michael Rouppet, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and California State Senator Scott Wiener are among the guests on the show.

to have its place on a global stage.”

According to Charles, the movement to bring Valdés to Trinidad was started by Trinis in the expatriate community there following a recent musical performance at the Royal Festival Hall in London. “We as a people need to be exposed to this level of artistry without having to buy a plane ticket.” According to him, both Trinidadians and visitors from other Caribbean countries are having unique experiences thanks to the event.

Visitors from other islands are traveling to Trinidad for the show, according to the release, where Valdés will perform with his Royal Quartet, which also features the skillful playing of fellow Cubans José Armando Gola on bass, Roberto Junior Vizcaíno Torre on percussion, and Horatio “El Negro” Hernández on drums.

The release stated that the concert experience

offers a creole take on the holiday celebration in a season of yearly Christmas pageants and choral events that occasionally are still dependent on the idea of warm woolen mittens and sleigh rides. It combines sublime music with a post-concert mix and mingle, featuring specialty food, premium drinks, and cocktails.

Among Charles’s many well-liked musical guests are US-based Trinidad music heavyweights David “Happy” Williams on bass and Robert Greenidge on pan, as well as Venezuelan cuatro virtuoso Jorge Glem. Another guest artist is singer and creole chanteuse, Vaughnette Bigford. “Her star has been steadily rising…she’s my first choice many times when I do shows, we have some interesting arrangements that I am working on for her,” Charles remarked.

A further approach to celebrating the vibrant and varied music of the season for local audiences is to blend folk and popular music from both local and international songbooks.

The Lord Kitchener Auditorium’s “intimate environment” allows the audience to hear the instruments alone, free from outside noise: Charles continues, “You get to hear the warmth of a cuatro, you really get to hear the complexity of the sound of ‘Happy’ William’s bass.”

A Creole Christmas Gift: Concert and Cocktails costs $800 per ticket.

The concert starts at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m.

LET’S GET DOWN to

THE BONE

SoSOBONE.com

18

CARIBTRAVEL

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Jamaica’s Minister Bartlett Receives Two Major Travel Awards in Dubai

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on the weekend received two major awards for Jamaica from the prestigious World Travel Awards, which is in its 30th year, at the landmark Burj Al Arab in

Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Minister Bartlett also as Founder and Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), a thinktank based in Jamaica, handed out five Global Tourism Resilience Awards to two major Middle East corporations and three countries.

Jamaica was awarded, “World’s Best Family Destination” and “World’s Best Cruise Destination” before a large audience of government leaders and officials, global corporate titans, and travel stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the Global Tourism Resilience awards, presented by Bartlett, was for entities and countries that have demonstrated global leadership, pioneering vision and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity.

The inaugural Global Tourism Resilience awardees are the nations of Qatar; The Maldives; The Philippines and UAE cor-

porate powerhouses DP World, an Emirati multinational logistics company specializing in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zone and Dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider offering ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents.

Minister Bartlett, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Sen. the Hon. Matthew Samuda; Tourism Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright, Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller and Chairman of Jamaica’s Climate Change Advisory Board, Professor Dale Webber were in Dubai on the occasion of COP 28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023, with global leaders, governments and other leading stakeholders discussing how to limit and

prepare for climate change.

The Global Tourism Resilience Awards fall under the stewardship of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) – an international think-tank headquartered in Jamaica, with satellites in Africa, Canada, and the Middle East.

Founded by Minister Bartlett in 2018, the GTRCMC aims to help tourism stakeholders worldwide prepare for, manage and recover from a crisis.

This is accomplished through providing services such as training, crisis communications, policy advice, project management, event planning, monitoring, evaluation, research and data analytics.

The focus of the GTRCMC includes climate resilience, security and cybersecurity resilience, digital transformation and resilience, entrepreneurial resilience and pandemic resilience.

Sandals Resorts Celebrates 30th Consecutive Year As World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company The winners of the final installment of the globally renowned World Travel Awards Grand Tour were announced at the landmark 30th Annual World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala in Dubai, where Sandals Resorts International was named the “World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company” for the 30th year in a row, capping off an evening of incredible recognitions for the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts brands.

Leading the charge in the family all-inclusive space, Beaches Resorts was recognized as the “World’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort Brand” for the 26th consecutive year, reaffirming the brand’s enduring innovative spirit within the family hospitality space.

Each year, the World Travel Awards™ spans the globe with its Grand Tour, culminating with the Grand Final, where the best of the best are recognized as the top players in the travel and tourism industry. The four accolades awarded to Sandals Resorts International’s portfolio are: World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company 2023: Sandals Resorts International World’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2023: Sandals Grenada World’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort Brand 2023: Beaches Resorts World’s Leading Caribbean Attraction Company 2023: Island Routes Caribbean Adventures On the heels of the highly anticipated opening of a fully transformed Sandals Dunn’s River in the spring of 2023 – and with a new island soon to be unlocked for Sandals guests with the announcement of the all-new Sandals Saint Vincent and The Grenadines opening in 2024 – the awards honor a series of exciting milestones for the Caribbean-born resort company and the promise of new innovations for years to come. This includes the ongoing expansion of Sandals’ pioneering Island Inclusive dining

program, which offers incredible off-site dining experiences for select bookings as part of the all-inclusive experience, immersing guests in local flavors while supporting local businesses. On-site, entirely new concepts such as the Dunn’s Rum Club and BL?M celebrate local culture and bring forward authentic Caribbean flair.

“In an ever-changing and evolving industry, we are proud to create experiences that celebrate and bring guests closer to our sweet Caribbean – challenging ourselves to stay true to our roots in this very precious space and challenging ourselves to think beyond,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of SRI. “We have said over and over that we are taking Sandals and Beaches to the moon, and incredible milestones such as these fuel our desire to continue to innovate over the course of the next 30 years and more.”

Taking home the title of “World’s Leading Caribbean Attraction Company 2023,” Sandals Resorts’ sister company, Island Routes, continues to introduce culturally rich and bespoke experiences curated for travelers across the Caribbean, showcasing the very best of each destination while uncovering each island’s hidden gems.

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 with the intention of giving recognition to and celebrating the achievements of all areas of world travel and the tourism industry. Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognized internationally as the benchmark of quality, with winners setting the standards to which an industry aspires. The prestigious awards honor individual and collective successes in tourism and hospitality around the globe.

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

CARIBSPIRITUALITY

19

Be!

By James Dillet Freeman

How high should you aim? You are mightier than a redwood We live in a world of light. We are ourselves light …

I have only to look … to taste … to feel, I have only to live—to know that the world is a work more wonderful than anything I can imagine it to be, anything I do imagine it to be!

The wildest wonderment of all poets, dreamers, inventors, speculators that have ever lived is as nothing compared to the wonderment that is the world. The world is God’s wonderment, infinite intelligence compounding its infinity, the joy of eternity delighting in itself …

For when I consider humanity, I catch a glimpse of God in whose image we are made.

Listen to life, and you shall hear the voice of life crying, Be! What shall you be? Be what you were made to be! …

You were made to be joy. You were made to be a child of God … The impress of Spirit is on your every living cell.

For this alone, all things were made: to be! Life is not to be explained in terms of aims and ends

and goals, but only in terms of living. Life has goals and a goal, but its meaning and worth do not depend on this fact. How shall we explain life in terms of ends?

There is no end that is not a starting point …

Today needs no reason for being. It is its own reason for being. Sufficient that it is today.

Life needs no reason for being. It is its own reason for being. Sufficient that it is life.

You need no reason for being. You are your own reason for being. Sufficient that you are you.God loves you for what you are, not for what you have done or have not done. What are you? You are God’s child. That is your reason for being …

Aim at the highest, though you may not hit it.

If you never aim beyond your reach, you will

not grow. To be is to grow, and to grow is to aim beyond your reach. Growth is aspiration, and aspiration is the impulse to be what you were born to be.

Life is made for the high aimers … It is they who make all growth possible.

O human, you are the spiritual seed of God! Grow as a tree grows, rising out of yourself as a tree rises out of itself.

A redwood seed is very small to grow into such a gigantic tree. You are more than a redwood tree. For it has height and breadth and depth, but you have other dimensions. You are Mind.

You are Spirit.

O human, you were made to be the perfect expression of God! God said, Be!

20

CARIBSPORTS

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2023

Time Marches On at the Antigua Ground Where History Stands Still

Photo by Cameron Ponsby The Rude Boy stand has been taken down at the ARG. The once-famous double-decker terrace that housed Antigua’s greatest music entertainers is gone. Replaced instead with two shipping containers and a lorry trailer.

The prison watchtower that stands over the road, where the legend goes that Viv Richards’s dad would stand and watch his son bat in the middle whilst keeping one eye on the prisoners under his guard, has had its view improved immeasurably. Nothing now in its way, but nothing now to see either.

“You had music from morning to night,” says James Stevens, Head of the Antiguan Umpire’s Association for the last 24 years and chance interviewee after he saw two English lads stumbling around the famous and dilapidated Antigua Recreation Ground

“We had Gravy and Mayfield and the music,” Stevens recalls, reflecting on the famous names of those who performed outside the boundary rope of the ARG, as much as he does those that performed within it. “As a matter of fact, DJ Chickie the music master got man of the match in an India v West Indies game. You had three days rained out and he kept the crowd lively throughout the days.”

For someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts, a trip to The Rec is to have a go on a Ouija board for a laugh, only to feel your stomach jolt when the thing moves. The place is dense with history and with signs of life everywhere you look aside from the one place it matters. A shop within the grounds has three men sitting drinking a beer and eating some lunch, while the pavilion itself still operates in an administrative capacity. In fact, as England and West Indies were playing their first ODI on Sunday, the latest set of aspiring Level 3 umpires in the region were taking their final exams there. Something that Stevens himself would be overseeing, adding that that’s why he wouldn’t be in attendance at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium himself.

The watchtower of the prison in St John’s, Antigua, from where Viv Richards’ father is said to have watched him bat at the ARG The watchtower of the prison in St John’s, Antigua, from where Viv Richards’ father is said to have watched him bat at the ARG•Cameron Ponsonby Even Stevens, a measured man who grew up

in the countryside of Antigua, fails to avoid hyperbole when talking about the ground.

“ARG as a cricket venue in the universe, probably has the most history.”

And he’s not wrong, in spite of the fact that that history lasted for just 22 Tests and 11 ODIs, spanning 31 years. Brian Lara’s 375. Brian Lara’s 400. Viv’s fastest ever Test ton and the highest successful run-chase in Test cricket all happened on the same patch of grass of one tiny Caribbean island that boasts a population of just 90,000 people.

The reason for the stadium’s demise is wellknown. The 2007 World Cup was hosted in the West Indies, and Chinese money was used to build new stadiums across the Caribbean. The Sir Viv Richards stadium went up four-and-ahalf miles down the road, and as a result, the ARG became second-choice. A few miles in the other direction and you also have the Coolidge Cricket Ground, where the Stanford T20s took place and which is now the headquarters of Cricket West Indies. Meanwhile, the ARG sits decaying. A once-iconic cricketing institution that is now a shadow of its former self. As an analogy for the state of West Indies cricket, it is almost too on the nose.

You still see cricket whilst travelling around the island. Kids playing at lunchtime, club players playing in the evening. The difference, Stevens explains, is that there was a time when you didn’t even have to look.

The consensus is that there are fewer people playing, but the exact reason why is less tangi-

Mexico Tops Panama, Wins Gold Cup The 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup has concluded after Mexico’s 1-0 victory over Panama in Sunday’s Final. There were many memorable moments over the course of the last month in the tournament’s 40 matches, yet these five stood out the most.

Gimenez’s dramatic goal earns Mexico title When a coach substitutes on a striker, the hope is that the player will respond with an important attacking moment in the game. For Mexico Head Coach Jaime Lozano, he could not have asked for more than what he got from Santiago Gimenez. The forward replaced Henry Martin in the 85th minute of Sunday’s Final and by the 88th minute Gimenez had beaten a Panama defender and finished into net to earn Mexico a

1-0 win and a ninth Gold Cup crown.

Gimenez goes down as the fastest-scoring substitute for Mexico in a Concacaf Final and scored the second fastest goal by a substitute in a Gold Cup Final, just two minutes shy of Brek Shea of the United States in 2013.

Gimenez’s goal completes a dream tournament for Mexico, who rebounded from a frustrating Third-Place finish in the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals to return to the Gold Cup mountaintop.

Carrasquilla delivers top tournament performance While his team came up just short in Sunday’s Final, Panama MF Adalberto Carrasquilla enjoyed an extraordinary performance in the

2023 Gold Cup. The winner of the Best Player Award seemingly delivered one masterclass after another in running the show in the center of the field for the Canaleros.

The 24-year-old Houston Dynamo man starred in the knockout stage with assists in the 4-0 quarterfinal win versus Qatar and then in the semifinals against the United States. Carrasquilla showed poise beyond his years in converting the winning penalty in Panama’s 5-4 penalty shootout win over the U.S. in the semifinals after a 1-1 draw.

No question that Carrasquilla’s performance for Panama will rank as one of the best in Gold Cup history from any midfielder.

ble. The myth that the Caribbean has fallen into the grip of basketball is exactly that. The two main sports listed by taxi drivers are football and cricket, and whilst basketball does, occasionally, get a mention, so do Playstations.

To an Englishman visiting, the activity on the island contradicts the narrative that the game here is dying. Cricket in the Caribbean is said to be in a worse state than it is back at home, but if you saw as much cricket in London as you did when wandering around Antigua, you’d consider the game to be in rude health.

Perhaps it is merely the difference between something that was once a national pastime instead now being a national hobby. And when you only have 90,000 people to play with rather than 70 million, that makes a difference. The game is here. But as Stevens says, you just have to look.

It’s been 15 years since ARG last hosted a match, when the Windies held on to a thrilling draw nine-down against England. And beer bottles (presumably not from that same day, but you can’t be sure) are still scattered around the stands, which gape where randomly selected blocks of seating have been ripped out.

The history of the ground is more tangible than you could ever expect. And the gap that The Rude Boy Stand leaves provides a tangible reminder of what once was, in a ground that otherwise has an intangible aura.

“It was always a pleasure to come to ARG and watch the cricket,” concluded Stevens. And you wouldn’t doubt him for a second.