PRESORTED sepTember 2010 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. 21 No. 10 Jamaica: 655-1479 THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE Wyclef Jean was barred from contesting the Nov. 28 presidential elections in Haiti. Now the interna - tionally acclaimed hip-hop star ~ Women with has released a song criticizing Caribbean roots are outgoing President René Préval for allegedly engineer - making huge strides ing his rejection as a candi - establishing their own date, page 2. businesses in the United States. Some of Attention on the biggest movers and Florida pri - shakers are found in mary elec - South Florida, tions last month, partic - pages 19-23 . ularly as four candidates vied to fill the seat vacated by Kendrick Meek and become the first- ever Haitian American in the United States Congress. Meek also emerged as the Democrats’ candidate for the U.S. Senate in November, page 11. Bounty Killer couldn’t believe his eyes when tax officials seized two vehicles belonging to the Jamaican dancehall artiste after the gov - ernment claimed its efforts to get the entertainer to pay out - standing amounts failed, page 15. INSIDE News ......................................................2 Education ............................................12 Tourism/Travel ....................................18 Local ......................................................7 Arts/Entertainment ............................14 Classified ............................................27 Viewpoint ..............................................9 Health ..................................................16 Region ..................................................28 Politics ................................................11 Food .......................................................17 Call Caribbean Today direCT from JamaiCa 655-1479 2 • CARIBBEAN TODAY • SEPTEMBER 2010 NEWS Wyclef Jean uses song to blame president after Haiti election rejection PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, first time directly blaming “It’s not Wyclef that you as a candidate for the election CMC – Internationally Préval. have expelled, it is the youth could not be appealed. acclaimed hip-hop star Wyclef In his creole composition you have denied...it’s the pop - “Therefore there is Jean, who was barred from entitled “Prizon Pou K.E.P.a” ulation you have denied, it’s absolutely no possibility for contesting the Nov. 28 presi - (Jail for the Provisional the peasants you have Wyclef Jean to be added to dential elections in Haiti, has Electoral Council), a somber- denied,” Jean sings. the list of candidates approved released a song criticizing out - voiced Jean sings that Préval Aides to President Preval to run in the next presidential going President René Préval “expelled me from the race. Preval said that while he has elections. So it’s over,” said for allegedly engineering his “I know all the cards are been informed of the song, he Samuel Pierre of the CEP’s rejection as a candidate. in your hands...I voted for you has no comments. legal department. Through late last month to be president in 2006, why The CEP disqualified radio stations were broadcast - today did you reject my candi - NO CHANCE Jean and 14 others, while it ing the song by Jean in creole dacy?” the song says, address - A lawyer for the approved 19 candidates with - in which he called for the jail - ing Préval, who cannot seek - File photograph Provisional Electoral Council out providing justification for ing of electoral officials who re-election after serving two Jean has launched a political attack (CEP) said that its ruling with music. disqualified him while for the terms as president. regarding Jean’s non inclusion (Continued on page 4) Buju Banton’s U.S. trial pushed back again U.S. court jails Bahamians MIAMI, Florida – The trial of based on a request by attor - prepare outweighs the best reggae superstar Buju Banton neys representing one of interest of the public and the on illegal migration charges - whose correct name is Mark Myrie’s co-defendants James defendant in a speedy trial,” Myrie - has again been pushed the judge said in his ruling. MIAMI, Florida – A United released. back, leaving the Jamaican to The delay is the fifth States federal judge has sen - According to the U.S. spend more time in an change in the scheduled start tenced two Bahamian men to Immigration and Customs American jail before getting a of a trial for Myrie, who has lengthy federal prison terms Enforcement (ICE) office, in chance to clear his name. been languishing in custody in for conspiring to smuggle four late February, Florida Park According to a story pub - this southern U.S. state since Jamaican and Trinidadian Service officers pursued the lished in Jamaica’s Sunday last December when he was nationals into South Florida. two men as they raced their Gleaner late last month, the arrested on charges of con - Prosecutors said that one 28-foot boat toward the coast. latest postponement has left spiracy to possess cocaine and of the passengers died during When the vessel entered the legal team of the reggae aiding and abetting the pos - the smuggling attempt. Black Point Marina in icon frustrated. Buju Banton session of a firearm in further - Tyrel Levarity, 23, was Homestead, near Miami, the “The trial was pushed ance of a drug-trafficking sentenced to 17 and a half unidentified passengers back to September 20 despite Mack. Mack’s lawyers had crime. years while 24-year-old jumped out and ran toward our objection,” David Oscar written to the judge seeking Myrie, Mack, and Ian Ahmad Toussaint was jailed the mangroves. But one of the Markus, a member of Myrie’s more time to prepare his Thomas were held following a for 14 years for their roles in passengers, Michael Norman legal team was quoted as say - defense. sting operation by U.S. law the February smuggling oper - Lynch of Jamaica, drowned in ing. “We are ready to go and “The court grants this enforcement officials. ation. a canal while trying to make it Buju is looking forward to his continuance to allow defen - The names of the other to shore, ICE officials said. day in court.” dant Mack additional time to - CMC Caribbean nationals were not United States District prepare for trial. The court Æ Judge James Moody Jr. last finds the ends of justice served Æ month granted a one-week by the continuance to allow delay in the start of the trial the defendant more time to Decline in illegal Caribbean immigrants in U.S. WASHINGTON, D.C. – A because of the economic last year of more than 389,000 new report has found that the recession. people. number of Caribbean and The center said that in It, however, points out other illegal immigrants living Mar. 2009 – the most recent that despite the decline, the in the United States has figures – there were 11.1 mil - population of unauthorized declined for the first time in lion unauthorized immigrants immigrants was nearly a third two decades. in the U.S., compared to 12 larger in 2009 compared to The report, issued million in Mar. 2007. The 2000, and it is three times larg - recently by the Pew Hispanic report said that illegal immi - er than in 1990. Center, a Washington-based grants from the Caribbean, Among the report’s other independent research group, Central and South America, findings was that nearly half is based on an analysis of 2009 decreased by 22 percent in the of unauthorized immigrants census data. 2007-2009 period. living in the country in 2009 It attributes much of the arrived in 2000 or later. decline to a sharp drop-off in MORE DEPORTATIONS illegal immigrants from the The U.S. Immigration and NO SURPRISE Caribbean, Central America Customs Enforcement (ICE) New York Mayor Michael and South America. It said agency said that, in recent Bloomberg, an outspoken that illegal immigrants years, it has deported an advocate of welcoming more decreased by eight percent as increasing number of illegal immigrants to the U.S., said jobs declined in America immigrants, reaching a high he was not surprised by the study’s findings. “It exemplifies what I’ve been saying all along,” he told reporters. “Not totally, but generally, people come here from around the world - whether they come here legally or ille - gally - to work, to build a bet - ter life for themselves and for their families. And when our economy is down, it’s just tougher to get a job.” Æ CARIBBEAN TODAY • SEPTEMBER 2010• 3 NEWS U.S. grants Bajan mother more time to stay with cancer-stricken daughter ATLANTA, Georgia – The appeal was denied, she was woman for the U.S. spread about Niamh’s plight. seemed vhappy with the good United States government has faced with the agonizing Immigration and Citizenship “Our office is more than news. reversed its decision to deny a prospect of abandoning her Service, declined to comment happy to assist individuals “I told her, and she gave me a Barbadian woman more time daughter, who is too sick to on the initial denial, citing who are encountering difficul - smile,” the mother said. “If with her cancer-stricken travel. immigration privacy laws. But ties with federal agencies,” she was up and walking, she daughter. Gooding, however, a spokeswoman for Georgia’s said spokeswoman Ashley would be doing a little dance Petra Gooding, 30, said learned late last month that U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss Nelson. for the nurses. I’m so grateful she was given a Septe. 2 dead - her visa was extended to said a case worker in the sena - Gooding said her daugh - and so thankful.” line to leave the U.S. after her November. tor’s office contacted the ter, who has undergone sur - visitor’s visa expired. “It feels like a load has been agency on the matter as news gery and chemotherapy, Æ She has spent 10 months lifted off of my shoulders,” here as her seven-year-old- she told reporters.