By Kimberly Ramkhalawan
December 17, 2021
This year marked a second year of the region grappling with the effects of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
But there were other issues that came despite a global virus bringing parts of the world to a halt.
Firstly many nations in the region started the New Year under lockdown or partial restrictions still in place in an attempt to curb the number of cases and load on their medical health systems.
The pandemic in 2020 had already brought much hard times to economies in the Caribbean. The mostly tourism region was hit hard with travel restrictions in place, seeing a number of hotels and tourist based businesses close their doors and send home employees. The effects of this would continue later on in the year.
And while first world nations began their vaccination drives, for the region accessing these precious vaccines were a challenge, not only to the poorer nations, but the Caribbean as a whole, starting with a slow trickle. Barbados under the watch of Mia Mottley was one of the first to access the Indian manufactured Oxford-Astra Zeneca shot, to which it would share to its regional counterparts.
This trend of sharing excess vaccines would continue across the Caribbean, from the Bahamas to Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago, sharing vaccines became the first step toward a so-called securing of the region from the deadly Coronavirus.
For St.Vincent and the Grenadines, this security would be disrupted as the La Soufriere would erupt causing much damage and destruction to parts of the island. Volcanic ash would rise high into the skies, with it blanketing dense forested areas, rooftops and vehicles. Plumes of volcanic dust would be as far reaching with Barbados getting parts also covered, and the same went for Grenada.
St Vincent was lucky for the steady leadership it maintained in having re-elected Dr Ralph Gonsalves for what seems to be the millionth time. His steady and calm focus amid the volcanic eruption was refreshing to see.
Other natural disaster events saw a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rock Haiti at the Tiburon Peninsula resulting in the deaths of 2,248 its people.
Mere weeks prior, its president Jovenel Moise would also be assassinated at his home, while his wife shot at and wounded but survived.
His death came after his term in office was disputed sparking a constitutional crisis and widespread protests demanding for his resignation, with him staying on as president despite a demand for an interim president.
While this nation clamoured for a new leader, regional counterpart Barbados was looking to transition into a republic, removing the British Monarch as their head of state, in return for a president to call their own, along with constitutional reform.
The appointment of Dame Sandra Mason as its new head of state would coincide with the nation celebrating 55 years as an Independent Nation, and event which was marked with nothing less than pomp and flare, as the Duke of Cornwall, Prince Charles would ensure of his presence representing the crown at the change of the guards in becoming a republic state, led by their Prime Minister, Mia Mottley.
Mottley was also one to make waves at the highly covered UN Secretary General Conference in New York in September, where she captivated the ears after her passionate speech on the effects climate change continued to have on small island developing state. The Barbados born leader would continue this momentum at the COP 26 Seminar held in Glasgow, Ireland. Her address described globally as emboldened was heard by leaders around the world, where she called for larger countries to take their role responsibly if they are to put a dent in climate change and stop its effect on small island developing states such the islands in the Caribbean. Her message was nothing short of grabbing the headlines not just locally, but internationally as well, carrying the regional flag high and ensuring their voice was heard on the larger scale.
The COP26 was a who’s who of world leaders, pontificating grandly about climate change challenges.
There was another notable election this year as Honduras elected its first female president in an election that was particularly bloody with political leaders either being assassinated or injured in political warfare.
Further in Central America, the migration plight got even more severe as not only are people still leaving the region in droves for America, they are also leaving behind starving people as it is estimated that a few million people in the region are either all out starving or under-fed said the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
We also had the minor Cuban uprising that quieted down after a few weeks. Many political observers, particularly in Miami, Florida, believed this was the time the would take the Cuban government down despite their arch-nemesis in Fidel Castro being long dead and his immediate successor in that of his brother, Raul Castro, stepped down from political life earlier this year too.
The other notable uprising was in the French speaking islands particularly in Guadeloupe where they went nuts over the French government implementing COVID-19 mandates on the territory. Thousands of French troops descended on the island of Guadeloupe in November to quell uprisings that spread to Martinique.
We also mourned the death of international meringue superstar from the Dominican Republic, Juan de Dios Ventura Soriano aka “Johnny Ventura,” who went on to glory this past August. He was mourned by many and will never be forgotten.
There were other little bits and pieces that happened, but too numerous to type them all off. Read our archives if you need more information.
2021 was quite a doozy. We are still gripped in the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic and are trying to get back to regular life. Hopefully 2022 is a bit better for us.