Caribbean leaders are using their spotlight on the global stage at the United Nations General Assembly to call for slavery reparations, an end to the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba and to highlight the development challenges impacting vulnerable nations. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday also used the moment to seek world support for his tiny Eastern Caribbean nation’s ongoing trade battle with the United States over online gambling. Unable to collect billions on its World Trade Organization victory against the U.S., Antigua is seeking to cash in its winnings by directing payments for American intellectual property, such as music and film, to the government. The U.S.’s refusal to adhere to the ruling, Spencer said, has “the potential to damage the credibility” of the WTO.
