Roseau, November 6, 2020. The Ambassador of Cuba in Dominica, Ulises Arranz Fernández, held a meeting with the Bishop of Roseau, Reverend Gabriel Malzaire. The meeting took place in the office of the Bishop of Roseau, on the afternoon of October 30, 2020
During the meeting, the Ambassador of Cuba provided extensive information on religious freedom in Cuba and how the Cuban Constitution recognizes, respects and guarantees equality between different beliefs and religions, as well as the right to change creed or having none. He offered data on the number of visits received in Cuba from foreign religious organizations and referred especially to those made by Pope John Paul II, in 1998, Pope Benedict XVI, in 2012, Pope Francis, in 2015 and His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch from Moscow and all of Russia, in 2016; that shows the international recognition of religious freedom in Cuba.
Finally, the Ambassador referred to the recent report presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, on the effects of the blockade between March 2019 and April 2020, through which he announced that it caused damage to Cuba in that period for 5 thousand 570.3 million (or 5,570.3 million) USD, 2.4 billion USD more than in the same period of the internal year; evidencing its increase despite the widespread rejection of the blockade by the international community.
For his part, the Bishop of Roseau expressed disappointment with the continued hostile policy towards the government and people of Cuba in this present age and commended the efforts of President Barack Obama for the steps he took to improve relations between Cuba and the United States. He thanked the Ambassador for his visit and the information offered and extended his wishes of peace and prosperity for the people of Cuba. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and respect.
EMBACUBA DOMINICA