November 14, 2012
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer (center) with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
“Excellency, it was pragmatic of you to present your electorate with a sober message of unity in the midst of challenges. Through your candid approach to the difficult road ahead, Americans chose to select the leader who is prepared to take the necessary measures to affirm the United States as a political and economic protagonist in our world community. In your humility towards this expression of confidence in your administration, I am certain that you will achieve your vision for the United States.” – Dr. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister, Antigua and Barbuda
“(Obama’s re-election means) a great deal for the Caribbean American community here, the Diaspora and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in general. While we celebrate a victory that was hard-fought for major domestic and some international accomplishments, we, the Diaspora, must push the president and the cabinet and other US officials to focus more on the Caribbean Community.” – Roy Hastick, President, Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMC)
“At the beginning of the last century, statehood appeared to be an impossible dream. After a century of battles and electoral defeats, statehood just became the political force of majority that Puerto Ricans prefer.” – Margarita Nolasco, Vice President, Senate of Puerto Rico (Associated Press)
“I feel elated that the country is going back to local rule, but at the same time it is a bittersweet feeling, because we are still in the shackles of the British government. Even though they said that we are free to conduct our own affairs, we will still have people breathing down our necks.” – Derek Hall, hotel worker, Turks and Caicos Islands (Associated Press)
“We all have exultant moments: memories made to be bottled up, then uncorked and sniffed during dimmer times. In mine, I am in Trinidad. The sun is rising. I am drinking rum, dancing my way through the streets of Port of Spain during the staple of all Caribbean Carnivals, J’Ouvert: a dawn-till-lunchtime parade during which revelers smear themselves in many things – paint, oil, cocoa, mud. Vanity and identity are replaced by unadulterated joy in simply, magically being there during a sublimely over-the-top ritual. That’s my pitch, the spiel I give about why one ought not let life pass without attending at least one Caribbean Carnival.” – Baz Dreisinger, Journalist (New York Times)
“With Rihanna, we have the best opportunity to reach the widest audience, especially that 25 to 44 year-old age group. They can’t be stimulated for a five-day vacation with just sun, sea and sand, so we need to find a way to keep people engaged. The whole intention is to demonstrate to our audience that Barbados is a place where you can move around and seek out your own experiences.” – Adrian Elcock, Chairman, Barbados Tourism Authority (Travel Weekly UK)
“After looking to expand here for more than a decade, we are delighted to confirm the acquisition of our first ever resort in Grenada and are incredibly proud to have found the perfect location to add to our brand. We are confident that guests will continue to be impressed by our tradition of exceeding expectations through innovation and unwavering service, which has become our standard across the Sandals Resorts brand. We are eager to make our debut and share with guests not only the beauty of our new resort, but to share the beauty of Grenada, its culture and its people.” – Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Chairman, Sandals Resorts