MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, July 27, 2020 - With the passing of former Barbados prime minister Owen Arthur on Monday, tributes have been pouring in from many of the Caribbean region's leaders. These include Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who has referred to him as a titan of regional integration, Sir Shridath Ramphal who lamented that Barbados had lost a great son and Sir Ronald  Sanders who described Arthur as a Caribbean champion.

Owen Seymour Arthur was born on October 17, 1949, and was educated at All Saints Boys’ School, the Coleridge and Parry School and Harrison College. He graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics, and, after working for a short time in Jamaica, he returned to Barbados. He soon after became an invaluable member of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).