President Barack Obama Arrives in Jamaica

It was at 7:30 pm this evening (April 8) that Air Force One touched down at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, bringing United States (US) President, Barack Obama to the nation’s shores.

This historic visit marks the second to the island by a sitting US president. The first was by Ronald Reagan in 1982.

Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen and Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, headed the  delegation of officials on hand to greet President Obama.

The other members of the welcome party were: Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator AJ Nicholson; Opposition Leader, Andrew Holness; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael Peart; President of the Senate, Senator Floyd Morris; Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Antony Anderson; Commissioner of Police, Dr. Carl Williams; Chief Justice, Zaila McCalla; CARICOM Chairman and Bahamian Prime Minister, Perry Christie; CARICOM Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque; Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Professor Stephen Vasciannie;  Chief of State Protocol, Elinor Felix.

President Obama then travelled on the Marine One helicopter to the Jamaica Defence Force’s headquarters at Up Park Camp.

From there, he travelled by car to a hotel in Kingston for a meeting with US Embassy staff.

President Obama will engage in a number of activities tomorrow (April 9), including bilateral talks with the Jamaican Government; CARICOM-US Summit at the University of the West Indies, Regional Headquarters; a wreath laying ceremony at National Heroes Park; and a Youth Forum at the University of the West Indies.

He will leave Jamaica tomorrow evening for Panama to attend the Seventh Summit of the Americas.