Maxie Cuffie

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Maxie Cuffie is a Trinidad and Tobago journalist and politician. Cuffie served as in various capacities in the media, including editor of the Trinidad and Tobago Express , and Head of News for CCN TV6. He represented the La Horquetta/Talparo constituency in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2020, and served in various ministerial positions, including Minister of Public Administration and Communication.

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Education

Cuffie studied economics at the University of the West Indies, and later obtained a Masters of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. [1]

Journalism

Cuffie served as editor of the Trinidad and Tobago Express, [2] and later was Head of News for CCN TV6. [3] He left CCN TV6 in April 2003 and, in his words, "ceased using the title 'working journalist'". [4] He later wrote a weekly column for the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. [4]

Cuffie ran a media consultancy firm, Integrated Media Company Ltd (IGM). [1] In 2011, IGM took over management of the Mirror Group Publication which published the TnT Mirror and its sister publications the TnT Mirror Weekend, and Sunday Punch [5] for one year, and Cuffie served as CEO of the company. [4]

Political career

Cuffie contested the La Horquetta/Talparo seat for the People's National Movement in the 2015 general elections. [6] He won the election, and represented the constituency in the 11th Republican Parliament. [7]

Cuffie served as Minister of Communications from 2015 to 2016 and Minister of Public Administration and Communication from 2016 to 2018. He later served as Minister in the Ministry of Public Administration and Communications, Minister in the Ministry of Public Administration, and finally as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration. [7]

Cuffie chose not to seek reelection in the 2020 general elections, saying that while he had made a "complete recovery" from the stroke he had in 2017, he wanted to avoid his health from serving as a distraction from "critical issues" during the campaign. [8]

Personal life

Cuffie suffered a stroke in 2012, [9] and second one in September 2017. [10] He was hospitalised at St. Clair Medical Centre in Port of Spain until later October when he was airlifted to Washington DC, [11] where he remained [12] until his return to Trinidad and Tobago on July 26, 2018. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 Cuffie, Maxie (2013-07-13). "Those who forget the past". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian . Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  2. "Cuffie: Angela a mentor, mother to all in her charge". Trinidad and Tobago Express . 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  3. "Maxie Cuffie: A great loss to journalism". Trinidad and Tobago Express . 2011-02-09. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  4. 1 2 3 Cuffie, Maxie (2014-10-12). "Politician and journalist". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian . Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  5. "Cuffie takes over 'Mirror' group". Trinidad and Tobago Express . 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  6. "PNM picks Cuffie for La Horquetta/Talparo". Trinidad and Tobago Express . 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  7. 1 2 "Maxie Cuffie – Parliament". www.ttparliament.org. Archived from the original on 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  8. "Maxie Cuffie will not seek re-election". Trinidad and Tobago Express . 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  9. Kissoon, Carolyn (2017-11-08). "This is the medical condition of Minister Maxie Cuffie". Trinidad and Tobago Express . Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  10. Loubon, Michelle (2017-09-05). "Maxie Cuffie suffers 'medical episode'". Trinidad and Tobago Express . Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  11. "Cuffie moved to Washington DC hospital". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday . 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  12. "Cuffie: I'm still in Washington". Trinidad and Tobago Express . 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  13. Kissoon, Carolyn (2018-07-27). "Maxie Cuffie has returned to T&T". Trinidad and Tobago Express . Retrieved 2025-05-03.