分类： world

In a landmark move to bolster disaster preparedness and response across the Caribbean, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) have solidified their collaboration through a formal agreement. The signing ceremony took place on September 2, 2025, at CDEMA’s headquarters in Bridgetown, Barbados, with CDF’s Chief Executive Officer, Rodinald Soomer, and CDEMA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, in attendance. The agreement involves a $300,000 grant from the CDF’s Emergency Disaster Assistance Facility, aimed at strengthening CDEMA’s Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). This funding will support the deployment, coordination, and operational needs of response teams across 12 Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Soomer highlighted the CDF’s dedication to fostering resilience in the region, emphasizing the importance of rapid and effective crisis response. Ms. Riley echoed this sentiment, describing the partnership as a testament to regional solidarity and shared responsibility. The funds will be exclusively allocated to disaster response operations, covering humanitarian aid, logistics, telecommunications, and rapid needs assessments. This initiative comes at a critical time as the Caribbean braces for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, underscoring the urgency of enhanced preparedness and resource availability.

Caribbean Airlines has announced the immediate suspension of all flights to Venezuela for the remainder of September, citing operational adjustments. The decision primarily impacts its Port of Spain–Caracas route, with affected flights including BW 300 and BW 301 on September 6, 13, 20, and 27. The airline has assured customers of fee-free rebooking options, provided tickets remain in the same cabin class, and encouraged affected travelers to contact its reservations or customer service centers for further assistance.

The suspension coincides with escalating regional tensions following a recent U.S. airstrike on a Venezuelan vessel, which reportedly resulted in 11 fatalities. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strike, alleging the vessel was involved in drug trafficking. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly supported the U.S. action, stating, ‘The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the U.S. military should kill them all violently,’ as reported by CNN.

Venezuela has long been identified as a key transit point for narcotics moving through the Caribbean to the United States. The Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, even offering a $50 million bounty for his arrest. While Caribbean Airlines did not explicitly link the flight suspension to the geopolitical situation, the timing suggests a possible connection to the heightened regional instability.