CARICOM Headquarters Photo: Caricom.org

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez invoked more solidarity, more understanding, more cooperation and more unity among the Caribbean nations while speaking at the Eighth Caricom-Cuba Summit, held in mid-December on the island of Barbados.

The event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the first four nations of that bloc and the largest of the Antilles. In the opening session, the Cuban head of state was invited to reflect on the significance of “the achievements made in these years and how much more we can do for the welfare of our nations.”

“I bring you an embrace from Army General Raúl Castro Ruiz, admirer of the dignity of our Caribbean brothers and tireless defender of the relationship between our peoples and governments,” he said.

He evoked Fidel Castro’s contribution to the growing rapprochement of the region and expressed Cuba’s gratitude for their “unwavering” solidarity and friendship with the Caribbean.

Advertisement

The heads of state and government attending the summit also accompanied President Díaz-Canel in a tribute to the 73 victims of the terrorist attack on a Cubana de Aviación plane in mid-flight, which took place in 1976, near the coast of Barbados.

At the tribute, the dignitaries in attendance agreed to commemorate Caricom-Cuba Anti-Terrorism Day every October 6, because as host Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said, “the memory of those victims must always inspire us to preserve our Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.”
“Cuba can only be on the  list,  if  it existed, of the victims of  terrorism,” said Mr. Díaz-Canel.

At the end of an emotional day, the president met with members of the medical brigade working on the island, Cuban residents and members of the diplomatic mission.   (Granma)