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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 13 February 2023
Caribbean leaders to tackle Haiti’s woes amid migration

By BERT WILKINSON since 2014 and a spike
Associated Press compared with the 180
GEORGETOWN, Guyana deaths registered in 2021.
(AP) — Top Caribbean Last year, the Bahamas
leaders are expected to repatriated nearly 5,000
debate Haiti’s spiraling migrants, the majority of
chaos and its impact on them Haitians. In January,
the region during a biannu- the government sent home
al meeting this week, with 570 migrants, of whom 368
some complaining bitterly were Haitians. The govern-
about a constant stream ment of the Turks & Caicos
of migrants arriving on their Islands intercepted more
shores as they flee poverty than 3,000 such migrants
and worsening violence. last year.
The three-day meeting of In late January, the Ba-
the Caribbean trade block hamian government an-
known as Caricom starts nounced that no new
Wednesday in the Baha- work permit applications
mas. Some of the group’s for Haitians would be pro-
15 members are pushing cessed until authorities
to get key Haitian stake- could better authenticate
holders to a neutral na- documents issued by Hai-
tion in the region to reach ti’s government. Also that
a consensus agreement Residents move about as police patrol in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. month, the Turks & Caicos
on holding elections in the Associated Press government approved a
impoverished country that this problem in Haiti be- and hunger deepens, with has prompted thousands six-month moratorium on
has been stripped of all cause no one else in the gangs growing more pow- to flee Haiti to neighbor- visitor visas for Haitians.
democratically elected in- Caribbean will be spared,” erful since the July 2021 ing Caribbean islands, with Both governments have
stitutions. he said. assassination of President many seeking to eventu- complained about an in-
However, the international The Caricom meeting will Jovenel Moïse. The number ally reach the U.S. Dozens crease in migrant shanty-
community and local offi- be hosted by Bahamian of reported kidnappings have died in such attempts towns and on spending
cials have noted that elec- Prime Minister Philip Davis, rose to more than 1,200 as they cram into rickety related to patrolling waters
tions cannot be held in Haiti who has persistently com- last year, more than dou- boats captained by hu- surrounding both archipel-
until violence is quelled. plained about the cost of ble what was reported the man smugglers. agos. “There is no question
Haiti’s foreign minister, Jean repatriating thousands of previous year. Meanwhile, The International Organi- as to whether Haiti will be
Victor Généus, warned Haitians as well as hundreds 1,200 killings were reported zation for Migration an- discussed” at this week’s
during an Organization of of Cubans in the past year. last year, an increase of nounced last month that meeting, Caricom spokes-
American States meeting He says Caricom needs to 35% compared with the it documented at least man Leonard Robertson
Friday that insecurity has help find a solution to Haiti’s previous year, according 321 migrant deaths and said. “Haiti has been at
risen and will spill over into security, political and eco- to the U.N. disappearances in the the front and center of the
neighboring countries. nomic crisis. Violence has The violence, coupled Caribbean last year, the community’s interest and
“We must absolutely tackle soared in Haiti as poverty with double-digit inflation, highest number recorded agenda.”q

Pope worried about Nicaraguan

bishop sentenced to 26 years

could do for Álvarez. “Pray, Square for the traditional Álvarez refused to board
that is our strength,” Brenes Sunday blessing, express- without being able to con-
told those gathered inside ing both his love and con- sult with other bishops.
the Metropolitan Cathe- cern for Álvarez. He called Nicaragua’s president
dral of the Immaculate on the faithful to pray for called Álvarez’s refusal
Conception. “Pray that the politicians responsible “an absurd thing.” Álvarez,
the Lord gives him strength, “to open their hearts.” who had been held under
gives him judgment in all of The comments by Pope house arrest, was then tak-
his actions.” Francis and Cardinal en to the nearby Modelo
Álvarez was sentenced Fri- Brenes Sunday were the prison.
day, after refusing to get first made publicly by the In the run-up to Ortega’s
Roman Catholic Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes presides over on a flight to the United church about the expul- re-election in November
Sunday’s mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Managua, States with 222 other pris- sion of the prisoners — sev- 2021, Nicaraguan authori-
Nicaragua, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. oners, all opponents of eral priests did board the ties arrested seven poten-
Associated Press President Daniel Ortega. In flight — and of Álvarez’s tial opposition presiden-
MANAGUA, Nicaragua years in prison in the latest addition to his prison term, sentence. Ortega ordered tial candidates to clear
(AP) — Pope Francis on move against the Catholic Álvarez was stripped of his the mass release of po- the field. The government
Sunday expressed sadness Church and government Nicaraguan citizenship. litical leaders, priests, stu- closed hundreds of non-
and worry at the news that opponents. “The news that arrived dents and activists widely governmental organiza-
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Hours later in Nicaragua’s from Nicaragua has sad- considered political prison- tions that Ortega has ac-
an outspoken critic of the capital, Cardenal Leop- dened me no little,’’ the ers and had some of them cused of taking foreign
Nicaraguan government, oldo Brenes said someone pontiff told the faithful put on a flight to Washing- funding and using it to de-
had been sentenced to 26 had asked him what they gathered in St. Peter’s ton Thursday. Ortega said stabilize his government. q