Caricom vuelve a pedir a EEUU el fin del bloqueo económico a Cuba
La Comunidad del Caribe (Caricom) pidió hoy, de nuevo, el fin del embargo comercial que mantienen las autoridades de Washington hace más de cinco décadas contra Cuba.
«Caricom sabe bien el valor de la unidad en la escena internacional dado que la coordinación de la política exterior es uno de los pilares de nuestro movimiento de integración», dijo hoy su secretario general, Irwin LaRocque, en la ceremonia de aceptación de credenciales del representante de Cuba ante Caricom, Julio González.
LaRocque indicó que Caricom, como bloque, avanza en la dirección de defender intereses y apoyar causas e iniciativas que son prioridad para la organización regional.
Dijo que por esa razón Caricom ha apoyado la resolución de Naciones Unidas de poner fin al embargo de EE.UU. contra Cuba y que la organización regional continuará respaldando esa postura.
LaRocque subrayó que las relaciones entre Caricom y Cuba son únicas y pioneras en la cooperación entre países del sur, lo que queda refrenado por los encuentros bilaterales que se celebran cada tres años y los encuentros de ministros de Exteriores cada 18 meses.
«De hecho, desde el histórico día del 8 de diciembre de 1972, que vio el establecimiento de relaciones diplomáticas entre Cuba con Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica y Trinidad y Tobago, los lazos de amistad y solidaridad entre nuestros países han aumento y se han fortalecido», destacó LaRocque.
Resaltó que los encuentros periódicos entre Cuba y Caricom proveen la oportunidad de discutir áreas de interés mutuo e identificar campos de una cooperación que se ha extendido tanto para la región caribeña como al ámbito internacional.
El embargo comercial de EE.UU. contra Cuba como respuesta a las expropiaciones de intereses estadounidenses en la isla se impuso inicialmente en 1960, aunque a partir de 1962 es cuando la postura de Washington provocó un bloqueo casi total.
Caricom renews call for end to Cuba embargo
The Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping yesterday renewed a call for the United States to end its decades old trade embargo against Cuba as the region reiterated its desire to maintain a close relationship with the Spanish-speaking Caribbean country.
«Caricom knows well the value of unity on the international front given that co-ordination of foreign policy is one of the pillars of our integration movement. We have, as a bloc, joined with like-minded states to both advance and protect our interests and support causes and initiatives of priority concern to us.
«This is why we have consistently supported United Nations resolutions aimed at ending the US embargo on Cuba and will continue to do so,» Caricom Secretary general Irwin la Rocque said as he accepted the credentials of Cuba’s fourth Plenipotentiary Representative, Julio Cesar Gonzalez Marchante.
Washington imposed the trade and economic embargo against Havana in 1960, two years after the former president Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista regime.
The embargo is enforced mainly with six statutes and the United States has consistently voted at the United Nations against the removal of the embargo.
In 1999, then US President Bill Clinton expanded the trade embargo by disallowing foreign subsidiaries of US companies to trade with Cuba and a year later he authorised the sale of certain «humanitarian» US products to Havana.
La Rocque told the ceremony that the relationship between Cuba and Caricom is unique, forged over several decades.
«In fact, since the historic day of 8 December 1972, which saw the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the bonds of friendship and solidarity between our countries have grown and deepened significantly,» he said, adding that the day is now celebrated annually as Caricom-Cuba Day.
La Rocque said the relationship between Cuba and Caricom has been a trailblazer in South-South cooperation highlighted by the summits held every three years and the meeting of foreign ministers every 18 months.
«These high-level political encounters provide our countries with the opportunity to discuss areas of mutual interest and identify areas for co-operation. That co-operation has also extended to the practice of mutual support in the hemispheric and international arenas.»
La Rocque said the last summit in 2011 had identified nine areas for technical co-operation, four of which are at the regional level and the others bilaterally between member states and Cuba.
He said there were other possible areas for collaboration and cooperation on the international front making reference to preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases, climate change and implementation of the UN Arms Trade Treaty.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Caricom-renews-call-for-end-to-Cuba-embargo_16330825
