(Shorthand Versions - Presidency of the Republic)
Your Excellency Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of Suriname and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM);
Honorable Prime Ministers and Presidents of CARICOM member countries;
Dr. Carla Natalie Barnett, Secretary General of the Community;
His Excellency Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;
Her Excellency Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados;
Distinguished heads of delegations and special guests:
We have come together today to the happy celebration of the 50th anniversary of relations between the brotherly countries of the Caribbean and Cuba.
The date invites us to reflect on the achievements of these years and how much more we can do for the well-being of the Caribbean nations.
It is an honor for Cuba to participate in the Eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit and a real pleasure to meet in person again at last.
This exchange among brothers has occurred regularly and constantly for the past 20 years. This is something we owe to a proposal of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, thanks to whose initiative it was agreed to hold these meetings in the common will to consolidate special ties of friendship and collaboration within the framework of South-South cooperation.
I bring you an embrace from Army General Raul Castro Ruz, admirer of the dignity of our Caribbean brothers and tireless defender of the relationship between our peoples and governments.
This meeting transcends formal relations and attests to deep bonds of brotherhood. It is also evidence of the continuity of the ideals and work of historic leaders who forged the foundations for the consolidation of relations, framed in principles of solidarity, friendship, selflessness and gratitude.
These precepts, together with the conviction of our belonging to the Caribbean, are part of the legacy, in terms of thought and action, deeply humanist and internationalist of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz.
What he expressed at the first CARICOM-Cuba meeting in 2002 is unequivocally ratified today: "The children of Cuba are and will be at your entire disposal".
It will always be accurate and exciting to remember that the courageous decision of Errol Barrow, from Barbados; Forbes Burnham, from Guyana; Michael Manley, from Jamaica, and Eric Williams, from Trinidad and Tobago, in 1972, was decisive for the Caribbean and Cuba to develop their relations at the highest political level, honoring the existing ties between our peoples from the common colonial past. To them, eternal tribute.
Dear friends,
The post-pandemic world, if there is a post-pandemic, demands more solidarity, more understanding, more cooperation and more unity from governments.
As so many times throughout its dramatic history, today the sister nation of Haiti is going through a particularly complex situation. On behalf of Cuba, which advocates for stability and peace in Haiti; which defends the right of its people to find a peaceful solution, through dialogue, to their great challenges, we ratify here our willingness to continue offering our assistance to that brotherly people.
From here we call to raise the quality of international solidarity with Haiti, on the basis of full respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of that people, especially at the present juncture, marked by such painful challenges as the recent outbreak of cholera faced by that country.
We urgently urge other regional and international actors to join in the search for concrete formulas and projects for triangular cooperation, as well as to provide resources and technologies that can be transferred as substantive aid to Haiti.
Dear friends,
Cuba's cooperative relations with the sister nations of the Caribbean have surely allowed us to contribute to the development of their countries in such sensitive sectors as health and education; but at the same time they have provided us with an invaluable contribution.
Living harmoniously with neighboring Caribbean peoples, with their customs, histories, traditions and popular culture has enriched us mutually.
Our historical commitment to the health of the peoples of the Caribbean is not circumstantial and has therefore been maintained in the most difficult times. This commitment includes our willingness to donate 144,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the subregion.
We invite the clinical use of our biotechnological drugs for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, an experience we have already shared with some of the countries represented here, as well as other innovative products resulting from the development of Cuban science.
Likewise, we reiterate our willingness to share experiences in health matters in order to face common problems in the region.
I wish to assure that the offer of scholarships to study medicine and other careers, as well as the training of highly qualified personnel in various sectors will continue to be a priority in the relationship with CARICOM countries. Today there are 851 Caribbean scholarship recipients on our Island, and more than 6,000 graduates since the arrival of the first students.
More than 2,000 Cuban doctors, technicians, nurses, sports coaches, engineers and teachers are working today in CARICOM countries. We have the greatest willingness to maintain and consolidate the links and exchanges that will strengthen this cooperation, to our mutual benefit.
I take this opportunity to recognize the courage of the authorities of the countries gathered here, in defense of the presence of Cuban professionals and technicians, in the face of the huge and cynical campaign of our enemies against Cuban medical collaboration, which attempts to deprive the Caribbean population of the health services offered by Cuba.
Solidarity has characterized the course of bilateral ties. This reality has allowed us to enjoy long-standing ties and a high level of political-diplomatic dialogue. It is up to us to improve exchanges in order to design and continue working in the search for opportunities and in the implementation of joint projects.
We must increase our efforts to make the Center for the Developmental Stimulation of Children, Adolescents and Youth with Special Educational Needs in Guyana a regional benchmark, and move forward with the Caribbean Regional School of the Arts project, based in Jamaica.
A fundamental aspect for the development of nations is the diversification of energy sources, prioritizing those that are renewable.
In this endeavor, Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines has joined forces with the Caribbean Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to jointly seek alternatives in our nations, while joining their efforts and experiences to take better advantage of the international financing available in this area.
It could be thought that language differences represent a barrier between our peoples; on the contrary, we consider that it is an area with great potential for cooperation in both directions. The educational systems require it and we have the human resources to do so.
Dear Heads of Delegation,
In recent years we have witnessed a notable increase in the impact caused by the effects of climate change and natural disasters, particularly to Small Island Developing States, where the intensification of extreme weather phenomena is already ostensible and practically irreversible: droughts, hurricanes, deterioration of soils and seabeds, upwelling of sargasso, rising temperatures, among others.
We are witnessing a period of growing exchanges between scientists and environmental agencies and progress in preparing our nations to mitigate the risk of natural disasters.
It is vital to continue promoting actions to preserve the Caribbean ecological system and to understand the severity of the impact of climate change, preparing for the worst-case scenario. To this end, we in the Caribbean have advanced coping protocols and highly qualified personnel.
At the Sixth CARICOM-Cuba Summit, we signed the Agreement between the Cuban Civil Defense and the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, which has made it possible to expand and integrate early warning systems in the region. By virtue of this agreement, in recent years dozens of specialists from the region have been trained in Cuba in natural disaster response management with the participation of the scientific community and UNESCO. Several rescue corps from the Caribbean have taken part in the courses Cuba offers at the Regional Rescue and Firefighter Training Center.
Excellencies,
The recovery of our countries in this post-pandemic stage is by no means a simple task. The nations, already afflicted by the imprint of an unfair international financial system that benefits the most developed countries, are struggling to stand up in a scenario of global and multilateral crisis that threatens us with particular force.
Our economies have the potential for intra-regional trade. We know that it is difficult to achieve fluid and mutually beneficial trade, but we can and must take advantage of commercial niches and promote their development. Let us exploit each other's capabilities to the fullest and effectively in terms of a regional economic articulation that prioritizes complementarity, with each country producing what is most competitive for it and exchanging goods and services to the extent of the financial possibilities available to us.
In 2017, we signed the Second Additional Protocol to the CARICOM-Cuba Trade and Cooperation Agreement. In 2021, the tariff concessions granted by Cuba to the Caribbean Community under the Protocol entered into force. With the necessary legal backing, this instrument will constitute a step forward in the promotion and identification of trade with tariff benefits and an incentive for entrepreneurs.
Another area in which we can move forward is investment. Cuba has a large investment portfolio in various areas of the economy. The government structures, in constant improvement, are ready to meet their requests. The Mariel Special Development Zone offers incentives to foreign investors and its geographical location places it at the center of important international maritime routes.
My Caribbean brothers and sisters,
I wish to reiterate Cuba's deep gratitude to the members of CARICOM, to its General Secretariat, for their solidarity and support in the face of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and following the regrettable accidents and natural events that occurred in our country this year, which have caused loss of human lives and substantial material damage. The resources made available to the country by the people of the Caribbean have materially and spiritually nourished our efforts to recover.
We would also like to express our gratitude for the unconditional and sustained support of the CARICOM States, in all the forums made available to them, to the legitimate demand for the end of the illegal and unjust economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba for more than 60 years. We also appreciate your condemnation of the unilateral inclusion of Cuba in the illegitimate list of State sponsors of terrorism.
In particular, we deeply appreciate the dignified stance taken by our Caribbean brothers in denouncing the exclusion of Cuba and other countries of the continent from the so-called Ninth Summit of the Americas, which took place this year in Los Angeles, United States.
We are extremely pleased with the close relations that CARICOM and Cuba have forged over the years. It was a commitment of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and Army General Raúl Castro to maintain unity between our countries, to cooperate in solidarity, to support each other in the face of the challenges imposed on us by the colonial past, to support common positions in the international arena and, above all, to define the essence of our friendship.
Dear colleagues, brothers and sisters, friends:
I am certain that this meeting will demonstrate that the unity of peoples is essential for human betterment and for achieving a more just, equitable and sustainable world. We are convinced that this meeting will strengthen the indestructible nature of our ties.
I thank you for your unwavering solidarity and friendship towards Cuba. When we receive you in Cuba or, as now, when we visit you, we Cubans feel among true brothers.
Please know that we always keep you in mind, that when a calamity or an event occurs in one of your countries, we suffer it as our own. We will always, always be at your side, supporting you and sharing our modest resources!
As a whole, we have succeeded in establishing a paradigm in international relations in which respect and solidarity prevail, demonstrating that a better world is possible. This was the dream of our predecessors and will be the endeavor of their continuators.
Before concluding, allow me to tell an anecdote.
Dr. Antonio Romero, president of the Chair of Caribbean Studies at the University of Havana, tells that the great Jamaican economist and prominent Caribbean scholar Norman Girvan once said in Havana that Cuba should try to resolve what he considered a dichotomy in terms of national identity: to define itself as a Caribbean country or as a Latin American country. After a year of debate, Cuban scholars of the Caribbean concluded that "Cuba is, because of its historical experience and not only because of its geographical position, both a Latin American and a Caribbean country". Girvan, who died in Cuba in April 2014, confessed then that this was the key that he had not considered in his close relationship with Cuba and the Revolution, and that it absolutely explained why Cuba was seen by the Caribbean as the bridge between them and the rest of Latin America.
We always want to be that bridge between two identities that we share, for the sake of our peoples and the integration that will save us.
I take the words of Army General Raul Castro in 2017, at the meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, to ratify that the Caribbean will always be able to count on Cuba! So it has been and so it will be!
Thank you very much! (Applause.)
