CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 20, 2008: Just four Caribbean heads of state showed up last night for the much touted dinner with New York Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, sources tell CWN.

The event, part of the New York Caribbean conference which opened yesterday morning at Brooklyn Borough Hall, was attended by the leaders of Barbados, Belize, St. Kitts and the Bahamas with Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica skipping out on the event. The prime ministers of Jamaica, Grenada, Haiti and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have so far not shown up for the conference.

With over 200 guests in attendance, including members of the Diaspora, sources say the NYC Mayor merely toasted the four heads before adding that his connection to the Caribbean is that he represents a large number of nationals outside of the region who call the city home.

Sources say the minor comment seemed perplexing to the diplomatic corp and guests there since they were expecting the mayor to possibly address an issue of important to the Diaspora and the region.

New York is home to thousands of Caribbean nationals.

Meanwhile, sources say Congressman Charles Rangel, the host of the event, skipped out on his hosting responsibilities after the opening ceremonies yesterday morning. Rangel had told delegates at the 9 a.m. breakfast that he had to fly to D.C. for an important vote. He reportedly linked in with the delegates via video link for other parts of yesterday`s event.

Last night, a former congressional staffer told CWN that perhaps Congressman Rangel should have scheduled the event later in the summer when Congress is in recess.

`It is a horrible breach of protocol for the host not to be present at a conference with so many heads of state,` the New York resident said.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke was also in D.C. for that vote so did not attend the conference.

The House yesterday voted on the House Amendments to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and on making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2008. Rangel voted for the measure while Clarke voted against it. But the two voted to support a motion to condemn the postelection violence in Zimbabwe and calling for a peaceful resolution to the current political crisis.