News
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New study highlights non-tariff barriers to trade
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica is the second Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to have participated in a survey conducted by an international organization assessing enterprises in developing countries to help them better understand the non-tariff barriers to trade. The International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint cooperation agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade…
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n Venezuela, some have mixed views on Hugo Chávez’s final resting site
CARACAS — On a hilltop, high above the Venezuelan capital, rises a 113-year-old structure called Cuartel de la Montaña or Mountain Barracks. On top of the old red and white building that resembles a castle stands a giant sign showing the number 4 next to the letter F. The reference is to February 4, the date in 1992 when then…
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Chávez Heir Faces Challenge in Ties With Armed Forces
CARACAS, Venezuela — The multitudes in red shirts, clenched fists thrusting in the air — a dominant image of the political movement that President Hugo Chávez left behind — convey a sense of followers united and loyal to the father of their revolution and his designated heir, Nicolás Maduro. But beneath the surface, the array of factions Mr. Maduro must…
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Human Rights group says Chávez disregarded basic human rights
NEW YORK, CMC – Even as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez was laid to rest on Friday a major human rights group in the United States claims that his presidency (1999-2013) was characterized by a “dramatic concentration of power and open disregard for basic human rights guarantees.” According to Human Rights Watch after enacting a new constitution with ample human rights…
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Venezuela candidate Henrique Capriles: Government exploiting Chávez death
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles on Sunday launched what many consider a doomed candidacy to replace Hugo Chavez with a no-holds-barred attack against a government he accused of coldly betraying Venezuelans' trust. Chavez's political heirs have toyed with Venezuelans' hopes, lying to them about his deteriorating health by suggesting he could recover and even producing decrees he…
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Over 100 ship passengers fall ill after Caribbean cruise
FORT LAUDERDALE, CMC – A major cruise line here says more than 100 passengers aboard an 11-day cruise to the Caribbean fell ill with a bad gastrointestinal virus. On Saturday, Royal Caribbean announced that at least 105 of the 2,000 guests as well as three crew members, fell victim to what was believed to be a norovirus, a common but…
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Venezuela to elect new president April 14
CARACAS — Just months after losing his race for the presidency, Miranda Gov. Henrique Capriles, may get a second shot at the top-spot and take on the anointed successor of the late Hugo Chávez. The country will hold new presidential elections April 14, the National Election Council said Saturday. Minutes later, the coalition of opposition forces, known as the MUD,…
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Another public sector union signs wage restraint agreement
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica Teachers Association, (JTA) has become the latest public sector union to sign a wage restraint agreement with the Portia Simpson Miller led administration. Previously, the teachers’ union had stated that it could not make such an agreement and as a result did not join other public sector unions, which signed the agreement with the…
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Clinton leads delegation to Haiti
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has arrived in Haiti to promote investment in the agriculture sector in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country. Clinton, who is also the United Nations' special envoy to Haiti, is heading a delegation on a two-day visit that will include visits to an agriculture school, a coffee-processing plant and…
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Walking the walk
KINGSTON, Jamaica – THERE is an intriguing story in yesterday's Sunday Observer about a push by The Bahamas to make sports a major engine of growth for its huge tourism industry. Those who haven't read it, should. Much has been said in Jamaica about sports and its potential as a money spinner — especially since this island of 2.7 million…
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