News Briefs: The Caribbean

* Jamaica: At least 49 people are dead and 500 are under arrest after police raided several Kingston neighborhoods in search of wanted drug gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke. The Jamaican government permitted the extradition of Coke to the U.S. and this led to a violent reaction from some of his armed followers since Sunday.

* Suriname: He may be a convicted drug trafficker and a former dictator yet Desi Bouterse’s Mega Combination party was the big winner in Suriname’s elections. (Many thanks to our tipster!)

* Trinidad and Tobago: Kamla Persad-Bissessar became the latest female head of government in the Americas after she was sworn-in earlier today.

* Dominican Republic: Several current ballplayers including David Ortiz and Jose Reyes are expected to attend Thursday’s funeral of ex-Major Leaguer Jose Lima who died over the weekend.

* Puerto Rico: Remember Vaughn Ward, the Idaho Republican Congressional candidate who mistakenly thought Puerto Rico was a country? Ward lost in yesterday’s GOP primary to Boricua Raul Labrador.

Video Source –YouTube
Online Sources – Xinhua, The Guardian, Gawker, Miami Herald, AP, The Latin Americanist, ESPN

Daily Headlines: May 24, 2010

* Dominican Republic: Rest in peace Jose Lima; the Dominican-born former Major League pitcher died of an apparent cardiac arrest yesterday at the age of 37.

* U.S.: Another Ecuadorian migrant has been brutally attacked in New York in what could be classified by police as a hate crime.

* Peru: No major damages or casualties have been reported after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook southern Peru yesterday.

* Mexico: Based on his family’s request police have stopped the search for missing ex-presidential candidate Diego Fernandez de Cevallos.

Image – Los Angeles Times (This image of Jose Lima was taken less than 48 hours before he passed away).
Online Sources- CNN, New York times, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC,