Lest we forget!

Statement from St Vincent and the Grenadines/Cuba Freiendship Society

The St Vincent and the Grenadines/Cuba Friendship Society warmly congratulates the Government and People of Cuba on the historic occasion of the start of the Cuban War of Independence on October 10, 1868 which led to our sister country’s national independence from Spain 30 years later.

The war of liberation launched on that date not only led to Cuba’s formal independence from Spanish rule but later served as an inspiration to the Cuban people in the 20th century to once more rise up against foreign domination and unjust rule culminating in the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

For us in the Caribbean with a majority population of descendants of Africa, it is important to note that among the aims of the Cuban 10th of October Manifesto put forward by its leader Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, there was one particular to us, descendants of slaves. The third aim of the manifesto stated clearly:

“Our aim is to abolish slavery and to compensate those deserving compensation”.

This squares clearly with the just demand of Caribbean people for reparations for genocide and slavery, and makes yet another connection between the struggles of our two peoples.

As we salute the Cuban people on this date, we also remember the martyrs of the Cuban Revolution. We continue to abhor the cold-blooded murder of Commander Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara in Bolivia on October 9, 1967 as well as the heinous terrorist bombing of Cubana flight # 455 off Barbados in 1976, killing all 73 persons aboard. We note the hand of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in both tragedies and once more reiterate our call for justice in this criminal act of terrorism in Caribbean waters.

Finally, in light of the recent vote of the General Assembly of the United Nations on ending the US embargo against Cuba, its 22nd consecutive vote on this matter, we again lend our voices to the international clamour for an end to this illegal embargo which hurts not just Cuba, but the entire Caribbean.

We remain unshaken in our solidarity with the Cuban people.

Renwick Rose
President, SVGCFS
Oct.10, 2018