July2009.qxd 7/13/09 6:10 PM Page 1 PRESORTED JULY 2009 STANDARD ® U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Tel: (305) 238-2868 1-800-605-7516 [email protected] [email protected] We cover your world Vol. 20 No. 8 Jamaica: 655-1479 THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE Fitzroy Salesman, the Jamaican- born ex-com- missioner for the South Florida city of Miramar, is appealing his misdemeanor firearm conviction. Among his claims is that evidence, which prove his innocence, never came out in court, page 2. The United Nations says the battle against HIV/AIDS is being won in ~ Haitian-born entertainer Wyclef the Caribbean. According to Jean has been honored for his Michael humanitarian work, especially his Sidibé, execu- efforts to alleviate poverty and suf- tive director of UNAIDS, a “major, fering in his homeland, page 7. major breakthrough has been made during the last five years of increasing the coverage of treat- ment” for HIV/AIDS in the region, page 11. ~ A 6’ 5” male Jamaican will be seeking top honors at next month’s IAAF World Ah pastries, the sweet slice of Championships in Athletics. United life. Most Jamaicans are known States-based 400-meter hurdler Isa to have a sweet tooth. Puddings, Phillips is hoping to match the excel- cakes or candy will always get lence of another illustrious countryman their attention. So Caribbean who fits that description, and in the Today is offering a sample of process shatter American dominance in Jamaican pastries – just in case you might be tempted to make the event, page 23. some of your own, page 14. INSIDE News . .2 Viewpoint . .9 Health . .11 Feature . .8 Entertainment . .10 Jamaica Supplement . .12 CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 655-1479 July2009.qxd 7/13/09 6:10 PM Page 2 2 CARIBBEAN TODAY July 2009 www.caribbeantoday.com NEWS Haiti appeals to donors to honor pledges Hundreds of Caribbean nationals MIAMI, Florida – Prime came on the heels of former ter said that ex-President Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis U.S. President Bill Clinton’s Clinton could use his influ- granted asylum in the U.S. has appealed to international appointment as the new ence to get the donors to start NEW YORK - Some 1,342 United States as refugees. donors to honor pledges made United Nations envoy to honoring their pledges. Caribbean nationals were During 2008, 22,930 individu- at a donors conference in Haiti. In lay- “That probably is one of granted asylum status in the als were granted asylum, Washington in April, saying ing out his the roles President Clinton United States last year, accord- including 12,187 who were that Haiti is yet to receive any vision, Clinton will have to play, see what fol- ing to recent data released by granted asylum affirmatively money in promised aid. said Haiti, low-up there can be to the the U.S. Department of by U.S. Citizenship and “We are frustrated, we are more than donors’ conference,” Pierre- Homeland Security. Immigration Services in dire need of financial sup- ever before, Louis said, noting that despite Nationals of only three (USCIS) and 10,743 who were port,” said Pierre-Louis on her has the oppor- Haiti’s troubles there were Caribbean nations were granted asylum defensively by first official visit to South tunity to many opportunities to invest approved for asylum status an immigration judge during Florida recently. She said Haiti advance. in the country. Pierre-Louis compared to only one for removal proceedings. is yet to receive any of the $353 “Haiti, not She said that Miami-based refugee status. Haiti led the million pledged to the country. withstanding Royal Caribbean is building a region with 1,237 or 5.4 per- TOP “So it would be helpful to the total devastation caused by $50 million pier and that the cent of the global total of The top countries of know exactly if they want (the the four storms last year, has government, with a asylees in 2008. nationality for affirmative aid) to go into agriculture, in the best chance to escape the Venezuelan loan, will shortly Jamaica had 19 approvals asylees were China (17 per- environment, education or darker aspects of its history in begin work on renovating the for asylum. cent), Colombia (9.1 percent), health,” the prime minister the 35 years that I have been Cap-Haitien airport in the By contrast, Cuba`s asy- and Venezuela (6.3 percent). said, adding the donors had all going there,” he said. north of the country. lum approvals were much The three countries accounted agreed on the plan that had lower with 86 approved in for the nationality of 32 per- been presented at the meeting. INFLUENCE ® 2008. However, 4,177 Cubans, cent of all persons granted Pierre-Louis’s appeal The Haitian prime minis- the highest in a decade, were asylum affirmatively. granted refugee status last year Globally, the majority of compared to no Haitians. That refugees (52 percent) admit- U.S. Coast Guard arrests drug traffickers, number grew from just 2,922 ted to the U.S. in 2008 were in 2007 and from 3,143 in 2006. under 25 years of age, with 36 seizes $8.5M cash in Caribbean waters An applicant for refugee percent under age 18. A slight SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – and disabling fire to bring the arrested them for “failure to status is outside the U.S., majority of refugees were The United States Coast Guard vessel to a halt after the go-fast heave as instructed by the while an applicant seeking male (52 percent). More than said its Caribbean Corridor operator failed to stop as Coast Guard, and they seized asylum status is in the U.S. or half of all refugees admitted Strike Force (CCSF) special ordered”, it said in a statement. the approximately $8.5 million at a U.S. port of entry. in 2008 (57 percent) were sin- agents and officers recently “The crew of the helicop- for further investigation”. To be eligible for refugee gle; 38 percent were married. arrested four Colombians and ter was able to observe the The Coast Guard said the or asylum status, an applicant In 2008, the leading coun- seized about $8.5 million in crewmembers of the go-fast U.S. Attorney’s Office in must be unable or unwilling to tries of nationality for refugee U.S. currency during patrol of boat throwing multiple bails Puerto Rico agreed to prose- return to his or her country of admissions were Burma (30 the Caribbean Sea. into the water, which were later cute all four crewmembers. nationality because of persecu- percent), Iraq (23 percent), The Coast Guard said the recovered revealing approxi- The Caribbean Corridor tion or a well-founded fear of and Bhutan (8.9 percent). crew of the cutter Harriet Lane mately $8.5 million in cash”. Strike Force investigates South persecution on account of race, The largest percentages of detected a “suspicious go-fast American-based drug traffick- religion, nationality, member- refugees admitted to the vessel departing Panama while DETAINED ing organizations “responsible ship in a particular social United States in 2008 settled patrolling Caribbean interna- The U.S. Coast Guard for the movement of multi-kilo- group, or political opinion. in California (16 percent) and tional waters June 21, and said the four Colombian crew gram quantities of narcotics uti- In 2008, a total of 60,108 Texas (8.5 percent). launched a helicopter to fur- members of the go-fast vessel lizing the Caribbean as a trans- persons were admitted to the ther investigate the vessel. were detained and brought to shipment point for further dis- (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) “The Coast Guard heli- its base in San Juan, Puerto tribution to the United States”. copter crew used warning shots Rico, where CCSF agents ® World Bank’s Caribbean aid reaches all-time high WASHINGTON, D.C. – devoted “significant energy World Bank aid to Caribbean and resources” in fiscal year and Latin American countries 2009 in responding to the is at an all-time high. needs of countries hit by the The Washington-based global financial crisis, “with a financial institution said recently strong focus on initiatives to that it had committed $17.1 bil- protect the most vulnerable in lion in fiscal year 2009 to help the poorest countries; maintain regional countries struggling long-term infrastructure invest- amid the global ment programmes; and sustain economic crisis. the potential for private sector- It said that led economic growth and figure repre- employment creation”. sents a 70 per- cent increase TRIPLED over the previ- The bank said commit- ous fiscal year ments to the Caribbean and a record and Latin America from its high for the Zoellick International Bank for global devel- Reconstruction and opment institution in the Development (IBRD) and region. the International Development “Requests for assistance Association (IDA) more than from the World Bank Group tripled in fiscal year 2009 to $14 rose sharply this year, and we billion for 64 operations, up expect this to continue well from $4.7 billion the previous into 2010, as the pace of year. recovery is far from certain,” The IBRD provides said World Bank Group financing, risk management President Robert B. Zoellick. The World Bank said it (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) July2009.qxd 7/13/09 6:10 PM Page 3 July 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 July2009.qxd 7/13/09 6:10 PM Page 4 4 CARIBBEAN TODAY July 2009 www.caribbeantoday.com NEWS Ex-city commissioner Salesman appeals gun conviction in Florida DAWN A.