Caribbean News RoundUp · Pulse of the Caribbean

#435 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 1 Week of March 23

March 24, 2026·22 min·2 clips

Over 100 Caribbean leaders board the first direct flight to Nigeria, launching a new chapter called the Reverse Middle Passage.

This episode of the Caribbean News Roundup presents a series of news headlines from across the Caribbean region. It begins with a report on the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States supporting the first large-scale commercial charter flight from the Caribbean to Africa, departing from St. Kitts to Abuja, Nigeria. This initiative, dubbed the Reverse Middle Passage, aims to enhance economic diplomacy and regional integration. The flight carried over 100 corporate leaders, government officials, and cultural icons from eight Caribbean nations to the Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit in Abuja. At the summit, St. Kitts and Nevis signed a deal with Nollywood director Steve Gukas to advance creative industries. The episode then shifts to Cuba, where Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about taking over Cuba, vowing defense amid economic turmoil from an oil blockade. Tensions are heightened by diesel shortages affecting the U.S. embassy in Havana. Next, Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States summit in Bogota, urging regional integration and a stronger collective stance against external pressures. He emphasized combating transnational crime and building value-added sectors. The Dominican Republic is progressing in a collaboration with the Italian Space Agency for geospatial monitoring to improve disaster risk prevention. Grenada's Health Minister Philip Tellesford chaired the Pan-American Health Organization's Subcommittee on Program Budget and Administration, stressing wise resource management for health systems. Guyana's agricultural minister discussed the Black Belly Sheep Operation with Barbados, aiming to improve food security and reduce imports under the CARICOM 25 by 2025 initiative. Grenada gained exclusive U.S. market access for soursop, supporting 2,600 farmers with an annual value of $2.6 million. Dominica faces a threat from lethal yellowing disease affecting coconut crops, which could impact livelihoods. In sports, St. Lucian sprinter Julian Alfred won bronze at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, and WNBA star Aaliyah Boston held a basketball clinic in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The episode concludes with a promotion for a Caribbean American Heritage Festival in Boston and acknowledgments to listeners worldwide.

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