by Oscar Ramjeet in Panama

Cuba’s President Raul Castro has described his United States counterpart, Barack Obama as an “honest man.”

Castro made the comment through an interpreter on Saturday at the Summit of the Americas, during a lengthy speech, largely taken up with the history of US-Cuba relations. He added that “when I talk about the revolution, the passion oozes out of me.”{{more}}

The Cuban leader said “I have asked President Obama for forgiveness. He is not responsible for the things which happened before his time.”

Castro pressed for the decades-long economic blockade on Cuba to be lifted. Earlier Obana has described the historic thaw in US-Cuba relations as a “turning point.” He pointed out that “the fact that President Castro and I are both sitting here today marks a historic occasion.”

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, in her brief presentation, said that CARICOM has a strong voice in the region. As she spoke on about security in the region, she pointed out that the Caribbean has the highest homicide rate, with firearms being used in a large number of crimes.

She said she was in favour of the United Nations Arms Treaty and called on nations which have not yet adopted the Treaty to do so as soon as possible. She said that her country would like the Secretariat for the UN Arms Treaty to be in Port of Spain.

Like President Obama, she stressed the importance of education, which she said is the key to success and said her country is placing much importance in that area, since education is free at both primary and secondary schools and that each child in secondary school is given a computer.