Antigua and Barbuda altered its intended position on a United Nations resolution calling for an end to the United States economic embargo against Cuba after Washington warned that supporting the measure could jeopardize ongoing negotiations over visa restrictions affecting its citizens, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed.

Speaking on his weekly radio program, Prime Minister Browne disclosed that his government had originally planned to vote in favor of Cuba’s long-standing resolution. However, the administration reconsidered its stance after receiving a direct call from the U.S. State Department. American officials advised that progress was being made in bilateral talks regarding visa access for Antiguan and Barbudan nationals, warning that a vote supporting Havana would undermine those delicate negotiations. Following the intervention, the government instructed its ambassador to the United Nations in New York to abstain from the vote. Ultimately, Antigua and Barbuda was recorded as absent during the October 28 roll call after the ambassador failed to attend the session.

The diplomatic maneuver highlights broader divisions across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) regarding economic relations and human rights in the region. During the October 28 vote on the U.S. embargo, CARICOM member states took sharply contrasting positions. Jamaica, Haiti, and Guyana joined Antigua and Barbuda in abstaining or missing the vote, while Trinidad and Tobago voted against the resolution, with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar arguing that her country could not remain silent on oppression in Cuba. Meanwhile, seven CARICOM nations—including the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname—voted in favor of ending the embargo. Dominica and St. Lucia joined Antigua and Barbuda on the list of absent nations.

The government’s vote shift underscores the intense pressure surrounding U.S. non-immigrant visa restrictions, which have severely restricted travel for Antiguan and Barbudan citizens. Browne addressed the diplomatic dilemma after a female constituent called into his radio show explaining that she was unable to travel to the United States to visit her ailing mother due to an expired visa and ongoing administrative hurdles. Expressing deep frustration, Browne emphasized that Antigua and Barbuda has historically maintained strong, cooperative relations with Washington and has taken no action to justify travel sanctions against its population.

In an effort to address U.S. and European security concerns, the government has moved to dismantle its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme, which grants citizenship to foreign investors in exchange for financial contributions toward socio-economic development. Browne revealed that his administration formally agreed to suspend the CBI program and communicated its decision to the European Union, requesting a three-and-a-half-year phase-out period. Following an official agreement taking effect after November 12, the government intends to formally notify international partners of the program’s suspension in hopes of removing the primary pretext cited for visa restrictions.

Despite these concessions, the prime minister acknowledged ongoing uncertainty over whether the citizenship program is the sole driver of U.S. policy. Browne noted that the visa restrictions appear to have originated from a high-level determination within the White House rather than standard State Department channels, complicating efforts to achieve a quick reversal. Nevertheless, he affirmed that senior officials in his administration and supportive diplomats within the State Department continue to pursue active diplomatic engagements to resolve the restrictions and restore easy travel access for citizens.

Trinidadian author and illustrator Jeunanne Alkins will headline a free Universal Children’s Day conversation hosted by the Caribbean Culture Fund (CCF) on Friday 20 November. She will be joined by two CCF grantees who make books, stories and digital spaces for Caribbean children and teens. “Caribbean Children, Caribbean Stories: From Representation to Ownership” runs on Zoom from 10:00 a.m. ET

Alkins trained as a journalist at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) in Kingston and has spent two decades making books and designs for Caribbean children. This year she returned to CARIMAC as the featured artist in its CCF-funded media artist residency.

Her talk will draw on that residency and on Bright Eyed, her storyworld project, exploring how original Caribbean stories can travel across books, animation, games, interactive exhibitions and immersive technologies, creating new ways to play, discover and learn. She will also share the development of Bim & Bam, a new children’s media property that explores travel through the region from a distinctly Caribbean perspective.

Each grantee panelist works with a different youth age group. Sonia Dumas joins from Zum Zum Museum in Trinidad and Tobago, whose Once Upon a Caribbean Time produces picture books for children aged four to eight, built around folktale characters and made almost entirely from recycled materials. Efua Akoma’s Island Life: Where Family, Culture and Farms Thrive brings children’s book authors and farming families in Grenada, Dominica and St. Lucia together in an illustrated anthology of farm stories and food folklore.

“These artists are writing the books, lessons and stages our children will grow up with. On Universal Children’s Day, we want them to hear from each other, and we want the people who fund children’s futures to hear from them,” said Kellie Magnus, Executive Director of the Caribbean Culture Fund.

The speakers represent a wider share of CCF’s work. Of its first 100 grantees, 14 projects in 12 Caribbean countries and territories are made for or with children and teens: nine are built around young audiences, and five include a dedicated school or children’s programme. They include animation for children in Dominica, and film and comics made with young Dominicans of Haitian descent affected by denationalisation.

Registration is open at https://bit.ly/4dZ1ab4

Joint promotion of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines highlights the power and value of regional cooperation in advancing the Eastern Caribbean’s Blue Economy.

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, through the World Bank-funded Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) Project, has successfully concluded its participation in the 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), held from October 28 to November 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.

The initiative brought together the tourism authorities of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to showcase the three countries as a unified, multi-destination yachting destination, highlighting the diverse marine tourism experiences and the opportunities for visitors to explore the southern Eastern Caribbean through a single yachting itinerary.

Recognised as the largest in-water boat show in the world, FLIBS provided an international platform for the participating countries to engage directly with yacht owners, charter brokers, marine tourism operators, industry professionals and prospective visitors. The 2025 edition attracted more than 100,000 attendees, over 1,000 exhibitors representing 52 countries and more than 1,300 boats, underscoring the event’s significance within the global boating and yachting industry.

Throughout the five-day event, representatives from the three tourism authorities worked collaboratively to promote their respective destinations while highlighting the advantages of experiencing Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as part of a single Caribbean yachting itinerary.

The joint promotion showcased the distinctive yet complementary attractions of the three countries, including Grenada’s picturesque anchorages, vibrant culture and marine services; Saint Lucia’s iconic Pitons, scenic coastline and established yachting facilities; and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ spectacular archipelago, secluded bays and world-renowned island-hopping experiences.

The collaboration demonstrated the value of presenting the destinations collectively, allowing each country to highlight its individual strengths while contributing to a stronger regional presence in a competitive international yachting market.

Maria Fowell, Senior Technical Specialist for Tourism at the OECS Commission, highlighted the strategic value of this approach of positioning the Eastern Caribbean as a connected yachting destination.

“The three countries have identified yachting as a key area to be highlighted. This collaboration provides greater exposure for our Eastern Caribbean region, particularly within the international yachting and boating industry.

The collective approach also provided opportunities for the tourism authorities to exchange knowledge, strengthen professional relationships and identify areas for continued cooperation to advance the shared ambition of promoting sustainable marine tourism.

Beyond showcasing their destinations, the participating tourism authorities used FLIBS to engage directly with key stakeholders in the international yachting industry, gather market intelligence and explore opportunities for future partnerships.

Shanai St. Bernard, Nautical Development Manager at the Grenada Tourism Authority, highlighted the importance of face-to-face engagement with yacht charter brokers and other industry professionals in understanding market trends and identifying opportunities to strengthen Grenada’s position within the international yachting market.

“The great thing about the boat show is we get to meet the brokers one on one that are brokers for a lot of the yacht companies so we get a lot of insight into how Grenada is trending, what we can do to improve as we want to get more persons down to the south and more persons to Grenada.”

These engagements offered opportunities to better understand industry trends, visitor preferences and the expectations of yacht charter companies, providing valuable insights to support future destination marketing and tourism product development.

Similarly, Cassia Ann Ledlow, Experience Development Officer Responsible for Marine and Sailing at the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority, described the experience as highly productive, particularly in identifying new opportunities for collaboration.

“Its an amazing experience. We have met persons who have been to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we have met persons who are coming soon, we have also met some key players and stakeholders in the marine industry in the yachting and sailing world, we have identified some key partnerships and some opportunities we would like to explore.”

The interactions demonstrated the potential of international boat shows to facilitate business connections, strengthen destination awareness and support the continued development of the region’s marine tourism sector.

Denise Mauricette, Maritime Officer at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, expressed appreciation for the support provided through UBEC and emphasised the strength of promoting the three destinations together.

“I really want to thank the OECS in particular the UBEC project under the World Bank for continuously giving us the opportunity to present ourselves as a southern Caribbean experience. I always believe that there is power in collaboration and presenting not just Saint Lucia but our two other member states. It really shows a united front and encourages other persons that it may be three destinations but we are one together.”

Her remarks underscored the importance of regional integration in tourism promotion and the potential for collaborative marketing to create greater international visibility for the participating countries.

An important feature of the participation was the destination seminar, which provided ​ representatives from ​ Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with a platform to present their respective yachting and marine tourism offerings to the international boating community. The presentations highlighted the range of ​ experiences across the three countries, including marina facilities, sailing routes, anchorages, coastal attractions, marine excursions, and cultural experiences.

By showcasing the distinctive characteristics of each destination while demonstrating how their offerings complement one another, the seminar reinforced the appeal of the Eastern Caribbean as a connected, multi-island yachting destination.

The session also created opportunities for dialogue with attendees, allowing representatives to respond to questions, share destination information and encourage greater interest in exploring the Eastern Caribbean. Together with the engagement at the exhibition booths, the seminar strengthened the visibility of the participating countries and provided another avenue for connecting with the international boating market.

The joint participation at FLIBS was supported through the Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) Project, a World Bank-funded initiative being implemented in Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with regional coordination by the OECS Commission.

UBEC seeks to strengthen the sustainable development of the Blue Economy through ​ improved governance, institutional capacity, economic opportunities and environmental sustainability in key sectors, including fisheries, marine and coastal tourism, and waste management.

The participation in international boat shows falls under ​ Component 1 of UBEC: Strengthening Governance, Policies and Capacity Building. This component supports initiatives aimed at strengthening the policy and institutional environment for sustainable Blue Economy development, including efforts to enhance the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the tourism sector.

Through the OECS Commission’s Economic Development Unit, work is also being advanced to strengthen the regional policy framework for sustainable tourism, with a focus on economic transformation, environmental sustainability, social inclusion and resilience across OECS Member States.

The collaborative promotion of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at FLIBS complements these objectives by strengthening ​ regional cooperation, increasing international market visibility and supporting opportunities for businesses throughout the marine tourism value chain.

Yachting tourism offers significant economic benefits beyond the marina and charter sectors, creating opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), including tour operators, dive businesses, restaurants, accommodation providers, transportation services, marine technicians, provisioning companies and other service providers.

By supporting the international promotion of the region’s yachting offerings, UBEC is contributing ​ to ​ an enabling environment for marine tourism development and a broader vision of sustainable and inclusive Blue Economy development.

The 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show marked the third collaborative boat show engagement supported through UBEC and the participating tourism authorities.

In 2025, the partnership participated in the Annapolis Boat Show in Maryland, United States, where representatives promoted the Eastern Caribbean’s yachting destinations to boating enthusiasts, prospective visitors and marine industry stakeholders. This was followed by the 64th Antigua Charter Yacht Show in December 2025, providing another opportunity to engage with yacht charter brokers, captains and industry professionals within the Caribbean’s established charter yacht market.

These engagements have helped establish a foundation for continued regional promotion, strengthen relationships within the international marine tourism industry and reinforce the value of presenting the Eastern Caribbean as a connected yachting destination.

Building on this experience, FLIBS 2026 ​ provided another opportunity to expand the region’s ​ international reach and strengthen the collective positioning of the southern Eastern Caribbean as a premier yachting destination.

The successful participation of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at FLIBS 2026 demonstrated the value of a coordinated regional approach to tourism promotion. By combining their efforts, the three countries were able to showcase their individual strengths while presenting the wider unique appeal of the Eastern Caribbean as a multi-destination yachting experience.

As the OECS Commission and its Member States continue to advance the Blue Economy agenda, initiatives such as these provide a platform for strengthening regional partnerships, expanding international market connections and creating opportunities for tourism businesses across the region.

 Civil works are progressing at the Hamilton site in preparation for the arrival of the rig to commence the drilling phase of the Nevis Geothermal Project.

Premier of Nevis and Minister of Energy and Utilities in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), the Honourable Mark Brantley, provided an update on the geothermal project during a recent press conference, outlining the preparations being undertaken at the production well site and the status of arrangements with the drilling contractor, Iceland Drilling.

“I do not have a date that I can give you, but what I can tell you is that significant preparatory work continues. We have what they refer to as civil works that we need to complete. So the site is being cleaned and we’ve done a preliminary removal of some of the vegetation.

“We now have to do some works here to prepare for the rig. The last we heard from Iceland Drilling is that the rig is ready to be deployed. They have already started to move in some of the equipment. In fact, I was told that some 12 containers had already arrived.”

Premier Brantley explained that the preparatory work involves more than clearing the site, as the various activities must be carried out under the supervision of independent engineers and in keeping with environmental protection requirements.

He noted that the NIA is working to meet these requirements while exploring possible assistance from development partners. Discussions at the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF), for example, included potential European Union (EU) financing to help cover the cost of technical oversight and other civil works.

“Just so the public has an appreciation, the thing about the civil works is that it’s not just putting our backhoes and excavators up there to clear. Everything that’s done has to be done under the supervision of independent engineers that we have to hire, and whatever we do there has to accord with the necessary environmental protections.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘All this time’ and ‘You all wasting time’ and all of that. I want the public to understand, this project is an incredibly complex undertaking with a lot of moving parts, and we can’t move at a pace that we would like to move because we could have had that site cleared, topsoil removed, and all that already. But they’re saying no, you can’t because if you do that, you run the risk of violating some provision of your arrangements in terms of financing. Every step that we take has to be carefully monitored and managed and documented so that they know that we are complying with the necessary requirements. So, it takes time.”

The Premier said the NIA is making every effort to ensure that the site is ready before the drill rig is dispatched, noting that having the equipment on island before the necessary preparations are completed could result in additional costs.

“We’re trying our very best to get to a position where that rig can then come. Just so you understand why we don’t want the rig to come until we’re ready, is because if the rig is here and we’re not ready, then we have to pay penalties for the rig being on island and not being in use.

“So, we don’t want that rig to leave Iceland until such time as we are ready for it, and that is what we’re doing, continuing to make efforts to make ourselves ready.”

Looking ahead to the subsequent phases of the project, Premier Brantley said discussions with development partners are focused on securing technical and financial assistance for supporting infrastructure, separate from the production plant, which is expected to be taken to the market through a request for proposals (RFP).

He disclosed that the World Bank is considering financing the electricity interconnection between St. Kitts and Nevis as part of the geothermal development, while the European Union is exploring assistance to fund an independent engineer and support upgrades to the transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to facilitate the project.

The NIA is also examining options to strengthen the resilience of the proposed geothermal infrastructure, including the possibility of placing transmission lines underground. However, he noted that underground installation is a very costly option that would need to be carefully assessed.

Premier Brantley expressed optimism about the project’s financing prospects, highlighting the geothermal resource’s potential to generate significant revenue, create wealth and drive Nevis’ long-term economic development.

He called for a collective, all-hands-on-deck effort to advance the project, emphasising its potential to lower electricity costs, reduce dependence on imported fuel and deliver lasting benefits to the people of Nevis and the wider Federation.