Raul Castro Welcomes CARICOM Leaders

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Dec 8 (acn) Following is the key address by Cuban President Raul Castro during the welcoming ceremony of the heads of state and government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that will participate in the 3rd Cuba-CARICOM Summit that opens its sessions on Monday in Santiago de Cuba.

“Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community:

“Dear guests:

“On the eve of the 3rd Cuba-CARICOM Summit, I wish to extend to you a cordial welcome to our homeland and to convey warm greetings from comrade Fidel.

“It will be 36 years tomorrow to the day when four Caribbean nations took the daring step of establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. That seminal event was one of historic and strategic dimension to us.

“It marked the onset of Cuba’s formal relations with the future members of CARICOM and the beginning of bonds of brotherhood and friendship which have successfully passed the test of time.

“It is worthwhile recalling the historic context of that event. At the time when diplomatic relations were simultaneously signed with Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba was diplomatically isolated from the continent. Even if we had close links with almost all of the peoples in the hemisphere, we only had diplomatic relations with Mexico, Chile, Peru and Canada. Actually, under US pressure, most governments in the region had severed their relations with Cuba.

“Today, reality is different. Cuba has full diplomatic relations with 30 of the 32 Latin American and Caribbean nations. We have come a long way from the time when it was possible to isolate Cuba. The governments of those four nations, and their leaders, made a significant contribution to the region we all share.

“Therefore, I wish to avail myself of this moment of friendship and fraternity among the Caribbean peoples, to pay tribute to that event that took place on December 8, 1972, which gave way to a transcendental chapter in the history of Cuba and the Caribbean. Let’s pay tribute to the memory of Errol Barrow, Michael Manley, Forbes Burnham and Eric Williams.

“Let’s celebrate the CUBA-CARICOM Day!

“Thank you”

Palabras de bienvenida de Raúl a integrantes de CARICOM