Caricom chairman says political distance must be closed Drug mule caught at airport

Incoming Chairman of Caricom and Prime Minister (PM) of Grenada, Dr. Keith Mitchell, on Tuesday made it clear to his colleagues at the 38th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom that inclusive mechanisms must be developed to close the political distance between integration arrangements and the demands of the people of the region. He pointed out that the Caribbean Community (Caricom) must confront this task.

“Having spent 32 years and counting in the political arena, I have become convinced that perhaps the most difficult task is to develop inclusive mechanisms that close the political distance between our integration arrangements and the demands of our people, at all levels of our societies – but especially with our young people,” PM Mitchell said. Closing that political distance with “our regional constituents” also meant that barriers to intra-regional trade had to be lifted, he added. He framed his comment in the context of the commitments to eliminate barriers to trade by regional forbearers as far back as Dickenson Bay in 1965. “I am sure we would all understand how, 52 years on, our regional constituents are becoming skeptical, when it is demonstrated time and time again that – after satisfying all of the Treaty provisions – they cannot export to their own neighboring countries, duck meat from Suriname or honey from Grenada. The same honey is exported to the United States and Europe, and has won several international awards for quality. These actions diminish the hard-earned gains of our integration efforts – so much so, that it is widely chronicled about Caricom that “intra-regional trade is obstructed by non-tariff barriers, which all affect our global competitiveness,” the PM said. PM Mitchell also pointed to the “tremendous strides” that were made, and singled out the strengthening of governance arrangements and the crafting of a development space that would facilitate the economic and social advancement of Caricom. SPAIN - Customs officers at a busy Spanish airport caught a woman smuggling cocaine after becoming suspicious of her large thighs.

The Bolivian woman had just arrived on a flight from Sao Palo, Brazil, to Barcelona’s El Prat airport when she was picked up by authorities. When frisked, the 39-year-old was found to have nearly two kilos of cocaine strapped to her legs.

A 39-year-old Bolivian woman has been arrested in Spain after customs officers found she was carrying 2kg of cocaine worth £100,000

Police said she was returning to her home in Pamploma in the Navarre district of Spain at the time of her arrest. ‘She was found to have the cocaine hidden in packets which were then strapped to her legs and stomach with insulating tape,’ said a spokesman for the Civil Guard.

The white substance was taken away for analysis and con- firmed to be cocaine, weighing 1.98 kilos worth around £100,000.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of offences against public health and drug trafficking.

(DAILYMAIL.CO.UK)