The post Caribbean: IDB Predicts Post COVID Economies Will Grow appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

Ramón Pérez Tejada, the Dominican Republic’s director of the General Directorate of Border Development (DGDF) affirms that the construction of a perimeter fence on the Dominican-Haitian border announced by President Abinader on February 27 goes well beyond the nationalism caused by illegal immigration, but will allow, among other things, to put an end to trafficking of all kinds …

This fence, of which he specifies that some 60 kilometers have already been built between Elías Piña and Jimaní, will extend for 190 kilometers of the 391 km of border that separates the two countries.

According to Pérez, each access point with Haiti will become a large customs office for companies, which will benefit not only the Dominican State but also the Haitian State by reducing smuggling and all those who live on both sides of the border.

Regarding the number of customs offices, he mentions two or three large customs infrastructures in each Dominican border province [Dajabón (North-West), Elías Piña (South-West), Independencia (South-West), Monte Cristi (North-West) , Pedernales (Sud-Ouest)] explaining that it is the commercial exchange dynamics of each province that will establish the number and location of these infrastructures explaining

“If there is a market that has existed for years, you can not simply block it, but on the contrary, you have to create the structures for it to develop. Reality will tell us where this trade infrastructure will be located along the border. What the fence will do is organize the border and promote the development of the economy of both countries.”

The post New DR Fence with Haiti to Eliminate All Forms of Trafficking appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

It took two months, but the international world broke through President Biden’s laser-like focus on domestic affairs, COVID-19 relief and his arguments that in a post-Trump era, he has new solutions for age-old problems.

From immigration at the U.S. southern border, to relations with China, Russia and Iran, to next steps with the Taliban and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the Biden White House finds itself back to the future.

On Sunday, Biden defended the administration’s response to conditions at the border, telling reporters the White House is “making sure that we reestablish what existed before, which was they can stay in place and make their case from their home country.”

The president said he would visit the area “at some point,” assuring reporters he understood the conditions migrants are experiencing in U.S. detention facilities.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas repeated on four network news shows on Sunday what he has told Congress for weeks. The U.S. message to Central American migrants and asylum-seekers who are putting themselves and their children in danger and attempting to reach the U.S. border is, “do not come.” It is the same message Biden delivered in June 2014 at the southern border on behalf of former President Obama when a migrant surge led to tough responses that earned Obama the nickname “deporter in chief.”

“Those who are pondering risking their lives to reach the United States should be aware of what awaits them. It will not be open arms,” Biden said in Guatemala City nearly seven years ago while discussing the crisis then. “We’re going to send the vast majority of you back.”

Immigration law in 2021 remains a politicized puzzle, complicated by emotions tied to children, a pandemic and Biden’s campaign vows to undo former President Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, which also required immigrants to file appeals to enter the United States from their home countries.

The Associated Press: Biden aims to prevent border crossings from swamping agenda.

The Hill: DHS chief takes lead in Biden administration’s border response defense.

“The border is closed, the border is secure,” Mayorkas said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“We are encouraging children not to come. Now is not the time to come. Do not come, the journey is dangerous. We are building safe, orderly and humane ways to address the needs of vulnerable children. Do not come,” he continued.

The Associated Press: Mexico on Sunday moved to limit all nonessential travel at its shared border with Guatemala. It is under pressure in Washington, as it was in 2014 and 2020, to slow the migration north as the U.S. government wrestles with growing numbers of undocumented people fleeing their countries.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this week plans to visit the border with 14 colleagues and he urged Biden on Sunday to open migrant detention facilities to press coverage, despite White House arguments that COVID-19 risks are one reason officials are keeping journalists at bay. In a letter sent today to Biden and shared with the Morning Report, Cruz called it “unacceptable” that the news media could not join the GOP delegation to see “a crisis of your own making.” Trump also issued a four-paragraph statement on Sunday accusing Biden of “destroying” the country (The Hill).

As The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports, Biden’s agenda for his first 100 days got off to a strong start but is being buffeted by border issues he understood from experience, instances of domestic extremism and violence that he assailed during his campaign and pressures from a host of foreign adversaries he has assured voters he knows well.

Also on Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (pictured below in Kabul) arrived in Afghanistan, making an unannounced visit as the administration wrestles with a war that is nearly 20 years old. Austin met with officials, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, U.S. diplomat Ross Wilson and Army Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Austin told reporters traveling with him in Kabul that senior U.S. officials want to see “a responsible end to this conflict” and “a transition to something else” (The Washington Post and The Hill).

The Taliban on Friday warned the United States that if it does not meet a May 1 deadline for U.S. troop withdrawals, there will be a response. Suhail Shaheen, a member of the Taliban negotiation team, told reporters “it will be a kind of violation of the agreement. That violation would not be from our side … Their violation will have a reaction” (AlJazeera).

Meanwhile, Turkey and Afghanistan today will commemorate 100 years of diplomatic relations and Turkey appears ready, with encouragement from the Biden administration, to play a mediator role in Istanbul in April in trying to finalize a peace deal with the Taliban. On Sunday, Biden also rebuked Turkey for abandoning an international agreement aimed at preventing violence against women (ABC News).

CNBC: Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who helped negotiate a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran from which Trump withdrew the United States, said on Thursday “there’s probably just about 10 weeks left for some serious diplomacy” with Tehran.

The Associated Press: Iran in January threatened attacks on Washington’s Fort McNair Army post as well as a top general.

Across the globe, the Biden administration hoped to counter Russia and China by strengthening U.S. alliances and to collaborate with partners to put pressure on both countries to change behavior. Antagonistic signals from Moscow and Beijing last week showed the Biden administration that the two powerful nations are willing to confront the United States, report The Hill’s Laura Kelly and Morgan Chalfant.

The Hill’s Niall Stanage: Biden faces steep climbs two months into governing.

The Hill: On the Sunday talk shows, the Biden administration grappled with conditions at the border whether labeled a “crisis” or a problem.

The post Hill Report: Biden’s Agenda Becomes International appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The post TripAdvisor: Aruba Hotel Rated Top in Caribbean appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A group of hundreds of economists and businessmen, including shareholders of Brazil’s largest bank, Itau Unibanco Holding SA, defended urgent change in the federal government response to the COVID pandemic.

“The country demands respect,” the letter begins, stating Brazil has the deadliest pandemic outbreak in the world and that the health system is overwhelmed and collapsing.

The letter says the recession is “caused by the pandemic and will not be overcome if the pandemic is not controlled by a competent stance by the federal government”.

Signed by hundreds of economists, policy makers, bankers and businessmen, the letter demands urgent acceleration of vaccination, a national campaign to demand the use of masks and serious discussions on social distancing policies.

Among the businessmen signing the letter, are Roberto Setubal and Pedro Moreira Salles, shareholders of Brazil’s Itau , Pedro Passos, co-founder of cosmetics maker Natura & Co Holding , former central bankers Gustavo Loyola and Arminio Fraga and former finance minister Pedro Malan.

The letter says at the current pace of vaccination, the country will take three years to reach all the population, and adds Chile is vaccinating ten times faster than Brazil.

“We cannot expect an economic recovery if the pandemic is not under control. There is no more time to waste on sterile debate and fake news” , the letter states.

To this Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has once again lashed out against the quarantine measures taken during the pandemic. Targeting the country’s governors, he accused them of being “tyrants” and “trying to restrict your freedom.”

On the occasion of his 66th birthday on Sunday, Bolsonaro greeted supporters who turned up outside the presidential palace in Brasilia to wish him on his special day. During his impromptu speech, he made it clear that he was still not okay with the stay-at-home measures ordered by mayors and governors to control the pandemic.

“They’re picking a fight. If anybody thinks we’re going to give up our freedom, they’re wrong. Some tyrants out there are trying to restrict your freedom. But you can be sure, our army is olive-green, and it’s all of you, too,” Bolsonaro as reported by France 24.

“You can count on our armed forces to defend your freedom and democracy.”Earlier this month, the president told people of his country to “stop whining” about COVID-19. “Stop all this fussing and whining. How long are you going to keep on crying?” said Bolsonaro, who trivialized the disease as “a little flu.”

                        287,000 Deaths and Climbing

Brazil has registered 86,982 new coronavirus cases and 2,724 deaths, the second highest daily toll, according to the health ministry.

Infections have surpassed 11.7 million and deaths have gone past 287,000 in total.

The post Brazil: Business Leaders Call for Change in Battling COVID, Irks President appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.