Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | News for the diaspora Subscribe
USD = GYD 209.22 JMD 157.56 TTD 6.76 BBD 2.00 Updated May 5

What’s happening back home — and what it means for you.

The Tradewinds Brief. Mon / Wed / Fri · 3-min read · Free.

Grenada balances deportee MOU and US military requests as Keith Mitchell weighs in — Tuesday Brief

Former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell weighs in on national affairs as the Mitchell government navigates a U.S. deportee memorandum of understanding and pushes back against U.S. military radar requests, citing the country's 1983 invasion experience.

Mitchell weighs in on national affairs

Former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, who led Grenada through multiple terms and remains an influential voice in national politics, has spoken publicly on current national matters. The intervention comes during a period of policy realignment as Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell’s government navigates several major files — the deportee MOU, the U.S. military presence question, and the CBI program tightening.

Deportee MOU and US military pushback

The Mitchell government has signed a memorandum of understanding to accept U.S. deportees, joining Guyana, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. But the government has also been notably uncomfortable with U.S. requests to set up military radars and other facilities on Grenadian soil, citing the country’s 1983 invasion experience as historical context.

Grenada is one of several Eastern Caribbean nations Washington has pressured to allow U.S. military installations. The government’s caution reflects both the historical memory of 1983 and the wider regional debate over how to balance economic ties with the United States against sovereignty concerns.

CBI: ten-year multiple-entry terms retained

Grenada retains ten-year, multiple-entry visa terms with the U.S., one of three Eastern Caribbean nations — alongside Saint Kitts and Saint Lucia — to do so. Antigua and Dominica face the visa downgrade. The retained access protects the country’s CBI program from the worst of the regional fallout from January’s U.S. visa restrictions.

Escazú: COP 4 wrap

Grenada is a State Party to the Escazú Agreement and participated in deliberations at the fourth Conference of the Parties in Nassau, which concluded April 24. The country’s environmental policy framework continues to align with the Agreement’s access pillars on information, public participation and justice.

Caribbean Travel Marketplace: regional context

While Antigua and Barbuda hosts the 44th Caribbean Travel Marketplace from May 12 to 15, Grenada and other Eastern Caribbean destinations participate as exhibiting tourism authorities. The week represents a key annual moment for regional tourism deal-making.

Sport

Beach volleyball: Grenada fielded a senior team at the May 1-3 ECVA Senior Beach Volleyball Championship in Saint Lucia, where local favourites Joseph Clercent and Sheldon Descartes pursued a fourth consecutive championship.


Tradewinds Brief covers twelve Caribbean countries every publishing day. For the diaspora — what’s happening back home and what it means for you.

Share: WhatsApp Email X