Barack Obama first president to visit Jamaica in three decades, stops by Bob Marley museum
9 April 2015 2:47 PM IST
Barack Obama first president to visit Jamaica in three decades, stops by Bob Marley museum
The Caribbean region collectively cheered when President Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008. Calypso and reggae songs were written in his honor, the French Caribbean island of Martinique named a road after him, and Antigua's highest- While Obama T-shirts and bumper stickers can still be seen on Caribbean islands where many people share a similar racially mixed family tree as the U.S. president, the fact that the American leader is partly of African heritage is no longer heralded
- Obama's visit to Jamaica is the first one by a U.S. president since President Ronald Reagan Reagan in 1982. He was last in the Caribbean region in 2009 when he attended the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. This time, Obama's stop in Kingston
- There are growing signs that the U.S. is stepping up its focus on the Caribbean to help fill a potential void left by Venezuela's scaled-back oil diplomacy. Earlier this year, Vice President Joe Biden hosted prime ministers and other top officials
- China has steadily expanded its economic alliances in the Caribbean, and the region is seeking to reduce its dependence on subsidized oil from an economically struggling Venezuela. China is providing much of the financing for new roads, bridges and
- "What a wonderful tour," he said. Obama's trip is more than just an effort in rebuilding popularity, though. His meetings Thursday with Simpson Miller and with other leaders in the 15-member Caribbean Community are weighted with self-interest.
- The president promptly embraced the local color and one of the island's icons, making a late evening visit to the Bob Marley Museum. In shirt sleeves, Obama toured the museum as Marley's hit "One Love" played through the sound system. One of the
- The first president to visit Jamaica in three decades, Obama arrived in Kingston Wednesday evening trying to rekindle an enthusiasm that has waned amid a perceived lack of attention from the American president. Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller,
The Caribbean region collectively cheered when President Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008. Calypso and reggae songs were written in his honor, the French Caribbean island of Martinique named a road after him, and Antigua's highest
Barack Obama first president to visit Jamaica in three decades, stops by Bob Marley museum
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