Cuban 25 ain’t come easy (Reminiscences)

by Renwick Rose

SVG/Cuba Friendship Society

It was with an immense sense of pride and accomplishment that I joined other patriotic Vincentians last week in celebrating the Silver Jubilee of official SVG-Cuba relations on a state-to-state level. It was comforting to witness the expressions of genuine appreciation from both Cubans and Vincentians alike, truly a milestone in our development.

But for those who don’t know, or who have forgotten, it must be emphasized that the 25th anniversary of the SVG-Cuba didn’t come “just so”. The pioneers of those relations had to endure a lot of discrimination, much harassment, persecution and being treated like if we came from outer space, all for advocating links with Cuba. Those attitudes arose from the politics of the then Cold War and the hangover of colonial government, which left us, even after we achieved national independence, with hostile attitudes towards Cuba, and even legislation which prohibited certain literature and went as far as banning progressive persons from entering many Caribbean countries.

Despite all the propaganda and the restrictions, the Cuban Revolution continued to exercise a powerful attraction on many people in the Caribbean, especially the youth. At the turn of the ‘60s for instance, the group who were to become famous as the “Bridge Boys” came out on Carnival Monday with a portrayal of “Fidelistas”, a poignant indication that Fidel Castro and his comrades had admirers here.

During the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, in spite of the ban, progressive youth here rabidly sought Cuban and other socialist literature, with persons like Dennis ‘Prick’ London, Caspar London and Victor Cuffy helping to distribute the Cuban paper GRANMA (in English). But there was a price to be paid – persecution including arrests and charges for possession of banned literature, a fate which befell yours truly, as late as 1984!

One recalls the 1979 elections, in particular, for the intensity of the anti-Cuba, anti-communist hysteria, not only by the then governing Labour party, but also by the opposition parties of Ebeneezer Joshua and Sir James Mitchell. Those of us identified with Cuba were treated as virtual outcasts in our own country. The then few of us who dared to travel to Cuba in those days returned home knowing that a police CID team would be there to ‘greet’ you at the airport. Such was the scare-mongering that some of our own colleagues were afraid to travel to Cuba, fearing that a Cuban stamp in one’s passport would mean that you couldn’t get a US visa!

In spite of all this, the movement for closer relations with Cuba continued to grow with the SVG/Cuba Friendship Society, the progressive political organization YULIMO, and its successor, the United Peoples Movement (UPM) leading the way. It paid off in 1992 when the government of PM Sir James Mitchell, not only took the courageous step to open diplomatic relations with Cuba on a non-resident basis, but also accepted Cuban scholarships and employed Cuban graduates, including at least one from Dominica, whom Mitchell’s colleague, the late Dame Eugenia Charles, would not hire.

Incidentally, I force a wry smile when I hear some people talk of “victimization” and “discrimination”. I was very involved in helping to secure the first university scholarships to Cuba, but when they were officially recognized, my own children had great difficulty getting government assistance.

It is to Mitchell’s credit that he responded to the changed situation and opened up these relations, which have proven so beneficial to our country. Similarly, the government of PM Gonsalves must be complimented for strengthening and deepening the relations with Cuba. From the difficulties of the past, the flower of solidarity has bloomed, surviving different governments. We must ensure that it continues.