By Kimberly Ramkhalawan
December 6, 2022
Some 28 points were ratified as part of the Bridgetown Declaration as the Eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit, concluded in Barbados, on Tuesday.
Leading remarks, current CARICOM Chair, Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi shared that the CARICOM-Cuba relationship has “remained robust in spite of various hegemonic forces, and the ever-changing hemispheric and international geopolitical environment”.
He added that CARICOM had “remain committed and constant in our advocacy for Cuba to be fully integrated into all aspects of hemispheric and international relations, and trade”, while his home country “Suriname also offered its unwavering support to Cuba in relation to the call to end the unfair and unjust economic, financial, and commercial blockade against Cuba”.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel in his post summit remarks shared Tuesday’s meeting, allowed for youthful exchanges, and also confirmed that the system of relations between the governments and its peoples, are a valued model. He added that what was also endorsed that relations was based on friendship, cooperation and solidarity out of mutual respect. He said they had made a “commitment to strengthen the existing relations among governments in a strong belief that the links cannot be easily broken, while it reaffirmed its readiness to cooperate to the extent of its ability to assist the nations of the Caribbean”.
Diaz-Canel added that Cuba also stood by the call for reparations and justice to the people of African origin, as well for preferential treatment as small island developing states of the Caribbean. Also on the table, was an area of mutual benefit in the mitigation of climate change and disaster reduction.
CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett underscored the importance of engaging in continued cooperation and collaboration marked by a commitment in the advancement and the interest of the people of CARICOM and Cuba. She says these relations have remained constant even after the ever changing political, social and economic and environmental landscape. Proof of this is the continuous striving of finding new and innovative ways in strengthening collaboration underpinned by the successive declarations arising from each meeting such as this.
She remarked on the bold step taken by Trinidad and Tobago to solidify relations with Cuba even in heightened geo-political tensions some fifty years ago, which has led to this continued relation.
Hosting the event, Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley says societies today have been challenged like they never have been before, however, Caribbean countries have continued to dig deep, to work together. In this tone, she said “principles of justice and solidarity were not old school, but relevant today, and must motivate the region to a higher call of action than it has had in the last fifty years if it is to overcome all of these challenges”.
However, Mottley resorted to bite her tongue in expressing hope in deepening collaboration and cooperation further, removing all divisions from language, politics and even bullying, retracking that should would “not be so crass today”, “but political framing that does not reflect the United Nations charter which respects the independence and sovereignty of individual nation states, asking her comrades to resist those matters and to come together not simply as heads of government and heads of states, but in defense of Caribbean people who more than ever, need that cooperation in resilience and solidarity if they are to allow them to navigate their way through these choppy seas”.
Part of Bridgetown declaration includes October 6th as the CARICOM- Cuba Day against terrorism, and in memory of the 73 people who died including CARICOM and Cuban nationals in the bombing of the Cubana Airlines in the waters off Barbados on October 6 1976 and for which there has been no accountability.
Also part of the declaration is to acknowledge that “recent global developments such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing multidimensional global crisis, to which the negative effects of the hostilities in Ukraine are added, have exacerbated existing inequalities in food and energy security among other areas. Therefore number 14 “welcomes the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Agenda aimed at strengthening the current food and nutrition security in the region and achieving the 25 by 2025 Vision for reducing the region’s dependence on imported foods”.
Number 23 on the list, reiterates“the strong rejection of the unilateral lists and certifications that affect Latin American and Caribbean countries; and in this regard, request the immediate exclusion of Cuba from the unilateral list of countries that allegedly sponsor international terrorism”.
The Ninth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community and the Republic of Cuba will take place on December 8th 2025, in Cuba and the Seventh CARICOM-Cuba Ministerial Meeting in a CARICOM Member State to be decided in 2023.