… George Washington University hired by Puerto Rico’s government estimated last month … collected hundreds of reports from Puerto Ricans who believed their relatives had … death certificates released by the Puerto Rican government after a lawsuit by …

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By Guy Britton

PLAYA DEL CARMEN — Fifth Avenue is alive at night, teeming with sound and color, filled with crowds and flavor.

By day, there’s another melody, leisurely and light, a place to stroll and warm up before cooling off on the beach.

There’s a little bit of everything here in Playa del Carmen, the beach city that’s one of Mexico’s most fun-filled, quirky, energetic destinations.

As you walk down the city’s main thoroughfare, you’re bombarded with retail stimuli, with everything from large global brands to tucked-away jewelry shops.

And then there’s the dining scene, with bustling bars, touristy cafes and seriously good Mayan eateries — and everything in between.

Playa’s Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, at night.

No, it isn’t hip Tulum, or sprawling Cancun.

This is the heart of the Riviera Maya, a raw, real city that’s somehow managed to develop in the heart of one of the hemisphere’s largest tourism destinations.

The Royal in Playa del Carmen.

Because while Playa is still defined by its resorts (like the terrific The Royal Playa del Carmen, above), it’s a place that begs you to go beyond your room.

It’s a place where you can spend all day walking and watching, or find yourself lost at night in a quiet watering hole.

There’s a palpable energy here, one that takes in-your-face consumer culture and somehow merges it with palpable authenticity.

You’ll find global brands like Starbucks alongside sophisticated local eateries, all somehow coexisting in a city that’s fun and never full of itself (the latter something that isn’t always true of popular beach towns).

It’s also a destination that’s been constantly changing and reinventing itself, most recently with a host of chic new hotels like the Thompson Playa del Carmen and Hilton’s The Fives, boutique spots with rooftop pools, striking design and happening cocktail scenes.

There’s an almost paradoxical offering in this city, from Guy Fieri to true Mayan cuisine at eateries like Yaxche Maya Cuisine, above.

You’re at once in Cancun and an old Mayan town, winding your way through modern Mexico in a single boulevard, converging on a point that’s many places at once.

And isn’t that the best place to find the getaway you’re looking for?

— CJ

The post VIDEO: Playa del Carmen, A Must-Visit Beach City in Mexico appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

JetBlue is upping its culinary game in the Caribbean beginning this month.

The New York City-based carrier plans to launch a new fresh food offering on select Caribbean routes, with its EatUp Cafe menu now available on flights longer than four hours from both New York and Boston.

That includes select flights to both the Caribbean and Latin America.

“We are always looking for new ways to push the envelope when it comes to serving food at 35,000 feet,” said Elizabeth Windram, vice president of marketing, JetBlue. “The Latin America and Caribbean regions account for one-third of our flying, so it’s only natural that we bring this fresh food offering to even more JetBlue customers.”

In all, more than two dozen routes to the Caribbean region will include the EatUp menu, which includes everything from a Mediterranean Salad Shaker to a turkey and pepper jack sandwich.

— CJ

The post JetBlue Is Adding Fresh Food to Caribbean Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Caribbean News Now contributor WASHINGTON, USA — The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday designated two Trinidad and Tobago nationals as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) financiers pursuant to a presidential executive order, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of […]

The post US sanctions Trinidad and Tobago nationals as key ISIS financial facilitators appeared first on Caribbean News Now.

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By Caribbean News Now contributor MIAMI, USA — Showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave in the eastern tropical Atlantic are showing some signs of organization. The environment is forecast to be conducive for slow development, and a tropical depression could form early next week while the system moves westward at 15 to 20 […]

The post New tropical depression likely to form as it heads towards the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean News Now.

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