Caribbean/Central America

Caribbean: Forecasters Predict Severe Hurricane Season

Date: May 9th, 2006 |

Following 2005’s record-breaking number of hurricanes, the Caribbean is set for another above-average hurricane season, according to weather forecasters. Water temperatures in the Atlantic-Caribbean are warm and the Pacific is seeing no El Niño pattern to offset them. The U.S. National Weather Service reported that the 2006 season will be as active as 2005, when [read more]

Caribbean: Hurricane Season

Date: July 13th, 2005 |

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Hurricane Dennis opened the Caribbean hurricane season with a bang, causing death and destruction in Cuba and Haiti and slamming into Florida before diminishing inland. Hurricane season runs until Nov. 30 and the National Weather Service predicts as many as 15 tropical storms, with up to nine of them becoming hurricanes and three to five [read more]

Caribbean

Date: September 22nd, 2004 |

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The series of hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean have left a mess that will take months to clean up in some places, while other islands are already back in business. In Jamaica, flight schedules have returned to normal, resorts in Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios are getting back to normal, but resorts in [read more]

Haiti

Date: February 17th, 2004 |

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A troubled country at the best of times, Haiti is in the midst of civil unrest that could see the fall of the current president or violence that spins out of control with many civilian casualties. Travel to Haiti should be deferred at [read more]

Guatemala

Date: January 20th, 2004 |

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Five armed robbers recently held up a tour minibus, killing one American and terrorizing and robbing the other twelve occupants. The group was traveling from the mountain city of Quetzaltenango, approximately 120 miles west of the capital, Guatemala City, to the Mexican border when they were stopped and attacked. No arrests have been [read more]

Martinique: Dengue Fever Epidemic

Date: October 4th, 2005 |

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Martinique also has a dengue fever problem, with almost 1,000 cases a week being reported since mid-September. Two people have died out of more than 6,000 repor [read more]

Dominican Republic

Date: March 22nd, 2005 |

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Police expect civil unrest in the northern city of San Francisco De Marcoris where groups are protesting the government�s failure to repair the road between San Francisco De Marcoris and Tenares, which was damaged by hurricanes last year, and other groups are protesting recent power outages. In the tourist town of Rio San Juan, some [read more]

Trinidad and Tobago

Date: February 17th, 2004 |

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The crime rate here is high, but most incidents are crimes of opportunity such as pick-pocketing, assault, robbery and fraud. Most violent crimes are gang-related and don’t target foreigners, and the majority of crime occurs in isolated areas. On Tobago, there is a high incidence of petty theft and hustling of tourists, and thefts of [read more]

Dominican Republic

Date: February 3rd, 2004 |

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A two-day general strike Jan. 28-29 shut down commerce and produced violent clashes between protesters and police, leaving five people dead. These incidents followed similar disturbances in November when six people were killed. The strikes received the support of unions, political parties and other groups from around the country and were staged to protest the [read more]

Haiti

Date: December 17th, 2003 |

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Civil unrest has increased in this long-troubled land as students and others opposed to the government have staged demonstrations around the country. Some have turned violent. Large protests occurred in Port-au-Prince, Gonaives, Cap Haitien, Petit Goave and Jacmel. The U.S. Embassy closed Dec. 12 for security reasons and may close again if conditions dictate or [read more]