News 

• Antigua and Barbuda PM, Gaston Browne, Comments About St. Vincent’s Evacuees Met with Criticism 
  • The Prime Minister (PM) of Antigua and Barbuda is receiving strong criticism from his constituents after his comments about the type of evacuees his country is seeking from St. Vincent and the Grenadines after the island nation experienced multiple volcanic eruptions.  
  • In a recent FaceBook post, PM Gaston Browne said that St. Vincent and the Grenadines should “send all [of] the young pretty ladies” to Antigua and Barbuda so his country could “expand” its population. 
  • Many were displeased with the comments from PM Browne and believed that they were exploitive since many of these women are fleeing St. Vincent and the Grenadines because of the growing humanitarian crisis that is occurring there.  
  • PM Gaston Browne maintains that his comments about this matter were meant to be a joke.

• Haiti—Kidnappers release 3 of 5 priests. Others will not be released until Ransom is Paid
  • April 11, 2021, five priests, two nuns, and two clergy relatives were kidnapped while on their way to see the installation of a parish priest. 
  • Three of the five priests were released, according to Vatican News.  
  • The kidnappers, a gang known as the 400 Mawozo, are threatening to starve the remaining hostages unless they received USD 1million in addition to reparations from the French government. 
  • Haiti’s President, Jovenal Moise, promised that his government would continue its efforts until all who were captured on April 11, 2021, were safely released.

• Barbados Relaxing Travel Restrictions to fully Vaccinated Travelers May 8 
  • Beginning May 8, 2021, persons who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to: 
    • Spend less time in quarantine. 
    • Even though this is true, travelers still must have a negative COVID-19 test result before arriving in Barbados and leaving quarantine. 

• India is Interested in Long-term Supply Contract with Guyana 

• • According to Reuters, India is interested in a long-term deal with Guyana to purchase some of the country’s crude oil. India, however, would like first to buy one of the 1 million barrels to test the oil in its plants first to see if it is compatible.
  • If it is, the countries believe that they could negotiate a long-term deal.  
  • Guyana and India have had a long relationship with each other. Persons of Indian descent make up a significant portion of the South American country, demonstrating its ties to each other.