Many residents relocated from Panama's low-lying island of Carti Sugtupu to Nuevo Carti (New Carti), a newly built settlement by the Panamanian government, are expressing nostalgia for their old home as they adjust to their new life.
The new mainland settlement was built by the government to protect residents on this Caribbean island from sinking caused by rising sea levels due to climate change.
The neighborhood has over 300 homes, with many still under construction. Each family relocated from the island receives a 41-square-meter, two-bedroom home with running water and electricity. Now, over 1,000 of the approximately 1,200 inhabitants have been relocated.
Some residents find life more convenient here due to reliable utilities and more space for children to play, but they have nonetheless expressed longing for the island, which is closer to the beach and filled with shared memories.
Ignacio Martínez Santos, a 78-year-old resident who just moved from the island to his furnished new home, says that he loves his new place but still misses his former life.
"For me, life was happier on the island. I could bathe in the sea. I love life on the island because I lived there for a long time. My ancestors also lived there. I was born and raised on the island," said Santos.
In addition to nostalgia, another challenge for the islanders is finding suitable work, with some already preparing to grow crops like pumpkins, bananas and pineapples on plots in front of their homes.
Nely Delgado, a relocated resident, quickly opened a small shop in the new community, while her husband uses his culinary skills learned in Panama City, capital of Panama, to bake bread for the community. Though the couple is quickly adjusting to their new life, Delgado feels uneasy about the fact that her elderly mother refuses to leave the island.
"We feel good living here, but I miss my relatives who remain, especially my mother. I miss the sea and everything about the island," she said.
The new community's infrastructure is gradually improving, with plans to build a new school.
In reality, the relocation of indigenous communities on Carti Sugtupu is just one example of the region grappling with the adverse effects of climate change. As many more Caribbean islands face the threat of being submerged, the Panamanian government is assessing the next island in need of relocation.
Despite improvements, relocated Panama Islanders miss their old home
U.S. President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs, which has sent jitters around the world, is threatening economic growth in Africa.
While most nations face a minimum tax of 10 percent to do business with the U.S., many others, including 20 African countries, have been penalized with reciprocal tariffs for running large trade deficits with the U.S.
Lesotho was hardest hit, fetching the highest rate of 50 percent, while goods from other African countries could cost the American consumer between 30 and 47 percent more.
The move has been met with astonishment across much of Africa.
"This is a fundamentally nonsensical, counter-historic step. It's a defensive one. If you want, the previous hegemon who created a free trade world order saying, this is not working for us, so we're going to de-leverage, if you want. We're going to shut down and we're going to re-industrialize. The fact of the matter is that that's not likely to happen, the cost will be much, much higher than the benefit," said Claude de Baissac, founder and CEO of Eunomix, an advisory firm that focuses on investment in Africa.
The harsh measures effectively nullify the protection of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade program that allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export hundreds of products to the U.S. duty-free since its establishment in the year 2000.
AGOA has underpinned growth in high-value products such as vehicles, agricultural produce and textiles.
Losing the agreement will have catastrophic consequences for countries that have come to depend on it.
"It will be detrimental to employment opportunities and whatever effects in the economy. But even in the long term, if the value and supply chains leave your economy, it takes more than just the labor away. It also takes innovation and technology and all the other factors that come with it. It's also being determinedly impacted," said Piet Croucamp, an associate professor with North-West University's Business School in South Africa.
However, AGOA isn't completely off the table just yet, as African leaders are confident they will be able to still strike a deal.
"The trade ministers are meeting sometime this month in the DRC at which AGOA would be on our agenda and the intention would be that we would also be able to formulate an approach collectively as we go and engage on AGOA," said Mpho Parks Tau, South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.
AGOA comes up for renewal in September but there is no telling on whether it will last till then.
In the absence of the agreement, many African countries that already battle high debt rates may not be able to compete in the U.S. market, which could be a huge setback to trade and economic growth.
Africa's trade with US hangs in doubt with new round of tariffs
