Of Love, CARICOM and CUBA
THIS IS THE WEEK of love and friendship,Valentines Day being tomorrow, February 14. And a great example of selfless love and friendship was brought out during our Parliamentary debate from one of our ministers. Education Minister Phillip Jackson, glanced around to the visitors’ gallery and, with obvious nostalgia, pointed to the presence of several high ranking public officials who, like him, had benefitted from the kindness of the Cuban government and people.
What they all had in common was that these successful sons and daughters had all lived, studied and graduated as professionals in the Republic of Cuba.
It was one of the greatest unintentional celebrations of what friendship and solidarity between nations can do to change the lives and circumstances of ordinary working people.
Jackson, now is a member of a Cabinet of Ministers which includes another young graduate of the Cuban education system in Fisheries Minister Conroy Huggins. Both men were but the continuation of a trend which had started even from the 1980’s when three young men left these shores to continue their education in the Republic of Cuba. One, Douglas Slater, was to return as a medical doctor and move on to become a Government Minister and then retire as Assistant Secretary General of the CARICOM Secretariat.
Another, Adreas Wickham was to become a Permanent Secretary and later Ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela until retirement. The third Berwin King, pursued Agronomy and, so typical of our Diasporic story, joined his relatives in the USA.
This sort of history is not unique to St.Vincent & the Grenadines. All through the nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), we have graduates of the Cuban educational system who have served at the highest echelons of private sector and the public services in their respective nations.Very soon a medical doctor who moved on to become the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis would assume the chairmanship of the Caribbean Community, Dr.Terrance Drew.
But there have been ambassadors, ministers of finance, health, agriculture and other disciplines throughout. One thing they all have in common is that they have been beneficiaries of the kindness, the love of the Cuban people and its Revolution.
The people of the entire region recognize this. They recognize that when we were not able to educate all of our sons and daughters that there was the benevolent hand of the largest nation of the Caribbean chain to lift us up. Cuba did this without asking for one dollar from any of the governments for educating, housing and feeding their children. It is a contribution which runs into millions if quantified in dollar terms.
It is therefore little surprise that we note the reactions, the loud outcry from citizens all across CARICOM to reports that our governments are phasing out, in one way or the other, the presence of Cuban medical personnel from our clinics and hospitals. We know that language is not an insurmountable issue. Our students all learnt Spanish in pursuit of their professional training. In the same way any supposed language deficiencies can and should be corrected.
We commend the many media houses from throughout the region which have expressed their disgust, and disappointment at the manner in which our governments have been meekly and quietly cowing to the dictates of a policy born in the most conservative and racist halls of United States government; to a policy meant to starve the Cuban people into subjugation. The Cubans have shown the CARICOM region, and indeed nations across the world nothing more than love and solidarity. Our people are therefore expecting a dignified response from our governments, either individually or collectively. Any policies designed elsewhere must take into account the well being of the peoples of our region.
There has been, in some quarters, outright criticism of the apparent lack of mature responses to the United States’ aggressive push. Indeed it would seem that the regional governments have yet to have taken our peoples into their confidence so that we can all understand the pressures to which we suspect they are being subjected. We are asking- what is the basis of the fear which is being manifested by our leaders?
Is it that our governments, which have been popularly elected, are unsure of the support they would receive were they to resist the apparent dictates of the USA? Our governments were elected to govern in the best interest of our people. They are therefore expected to step up to the plate and strategize so that we can sit down and negotiate outcomes in the best interest of our small, vulnerable nations.
It is in times of maximum pressure when maturity is required among our leaders. In unity there is strength. Our governments must trust their populations as we engage in necessary negotiations. This is not a time to cower and whimper; it is a time to trust our human resources and explore all available options in our own best interests. This is what is sovereignty is all about.
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