The LatinNews Podcast is a fortnightly deep dive into key developments from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Real insights from the region’s sharpest minds.
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Season 2 | Episode 64
Over the past 12 years, Jamaica has faced up to challenging hardships in order to earn hard won gains in terms of ordering the economy, reducing the debt to GDP ratio from 150% to 60% and reducing unemployment to 3.3%. It was, in short, an incredible success story.
And then in November 2025, the island was struck by Hurricane Melissa, leaving the country in tatters. The two main industries of tourism and agriculture have been severely damaged and the outlook appears bleak.
However, on The LatinNews Podcast this week, we speak to Caribbean economist Marla Dukharan who believes, in spite of the tragedy that befell Jamaica, that there are reasons to remain positive, as the platform for growth and recovery remain intact for the island nation.
For Dukharan, Jamaica's human capital, economic know-how, strong diaspora, resilience fund and CRIFF agreement will help the recovery. Questions remain, of course, as to how to mitigate climate events of this nature in the future and how to reform the nature of international aid donations.
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In this episode we discuss:
• The scale of damage caused by Hurricane Melissa
• The resilience fund and financing recovery
• CCRIF and the future of climate risk coverage
• Jamaica’s economic achievements before Hurricane Melissa
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Marla Dukharan
Recognized as a top economist and advisor on the Caribbean, Marla has led discussions and published reports on the Caribbean implications of EU Blacklisting, COVID-19, BREXIT, and changing US and Chinese policies, among other geopolitical developments. Marla has taken a firm stance on resolving the constraints and the injustices that the Caribbean faces that directly hinder growth and constrain the region from achieving its socio-economic potential.
Her monthly Caribbean Economic Report has become a critical input for regional monitoring, closely following risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for growth.
As a highly sought-after keynote speaker internationally on Caribbean issues, she regularly advises private sector executives and multinationals to support their strategic decisions in the region. Marla served on the Government of Barbados Jobs and Investment Council, is a Member of the Advisory Board to the UNDP's Regional Bureau for Latin America, and Board member for the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI). She sits on the Board of Directors of RF Holdings and of Goddard Enterprises Limited.
The LatinNews Podcast is hosted by Richard McColl, a foreign correspondent in Colombia. Having first travelled to Colombia in the late 90s, McColl made the move to Bogotá in 2007. He holds a Diploma in Conflict resolution and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences both at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He has worked as a journalist across Latin America.
Political Analyst, Richard McColl