The ties that join Cuba and the Caribbean are based on the principles of solidarity, friendship, brother/sisterhood, gratitude and full support for the Caribbean, as declared by the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz.
CARICOM-Cuba Day commemorates the courageous decision of the leaders of Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica, on December 8th, 1972, to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba despite US pressure. This act broke down the diplomatic isolation to which the USA attempted to condemn Cuba after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.
Relations between CARICOM and Cuba have been positive and have intensified over time. Today we have diplomatic missions in the 14 member states of CARICOM and they, in turn, are represented in Havana by an equal number of missions. Cuba is also accredited before CARICOM, OECS and the ACS.
Cuba is the only Latin American country where all the Caribbean nations are represented at the level of their own diplomatic missions.
By virtue of the priority Cuba assigns the Caribbean, President Miguel Díaz-Canel participated at the 39th Regular Meeting of the Heads of Government of CARICOM, held in Jamaica from the 4th to the 6th of July of 2018, where he ratified the unbreakable ties of friendship and cooperation characterizing relations between Cuba and the countries of the Community. Since his election, the Cuban President has held bilateral talks with seven leaders in the region (the Presidents of Haiti and Suriname and the Prime Ministers of Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize and Barbados).
Cuba ratifies its steadfast commitment to maintain cooperation and solidarity with the countries of CARICOM; this has taken place in a number of spheres such as health, education, the training of human resources, sports, culture, construction, agriculture, energy and many more.
Cuba will forever acknowledge the independent and dignified gesture of the small Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1972 and the courageous position of support upheld for over five decades, in spite of the great challenges, pressure and threats posed by the enemies of the Cuban Revolution.
Cuba reiterates its thanks to the countries of CARICOM for continuing to demand the lifting of the blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba and their support for the United Nations Resolution to put an end to this unjust policy.
Since 2002, every three years, alternating between Cuba and the nations of CARICOM, CARICOM-Cuba Summit Meetings are held. This mechanism has served to reinforce bilateral relations and has permitted us to have an effective mechanism for review and dialogue in matters dealing with CARICOM-Cuba relations.
The last CARICOM-Cuba Summit, which was the sixth of its kind, took place on 8 December 2017 in Antigua and Barbuda. This was a propitious occasion to look back over the historic relations between the Caribbean and Cuban governments and peoples. We ratified the friendship and understanding between the peoples of the Caribbean and Cuba and the desire to continue intensifying cooperation and increasing economic-trade exchanges. By the same token, we commemorated with great pride the 45th anniversary of the establishing of diplomatic relations with the first three independent states of the Caribbean and the 15th anniversary of the establishing of the CARICOM-Cuba mechanism.
In 2019 the Sixth Ministerial CARICOM-Cuba Meeting will be taking place, permitting an assessment of the advances made on agreements taken at the Sixth Summit and dialogue on positions taken to face the challenges presented by the complex regional and international context.
