The Prime Minister of Barbados and president of the ruling Democratic Labor Party, The Right Hon. Freundel J. Stuart, received on Wednesday the delegation chaired by comrade José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and head of the Department of International Relations, which visits the country to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. Accompanied by officials of his chancellery, the DLP leader welcomed the delegation in his official residence of Ilaro Court, integrated by Mrs. Idalmis Brooks, senior officer of that Party department.
When presenting the Cuban delegation and thanking the courtesy call, the Cuban ambassador, Francisco Fernández, explained to the Prime Minister their participation in several activities that will be carried out jointly with the government and various Barbadian organizations. He cited the particular relevance of the II Colloquium on the Legacy of Fidel Castro, coinciding with the first anniversary of his passage to immortality, called by the University of the West Indies – Cave Hill Campus, a Cultural Gala and the Diplomatic Reception for the 45 years of relations with Barbados and with the Community of Caribbean States (CARICOM)
The Barbadian leader, in expressing his satisfaction at the visit of comrade Balaguer Cabrera, who is a further step in the consolidation of ties between two parties, expressed his admiration for the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, who visited this country several times. He added that Cuba can continue to count on the support of the Barbadian people and government and in this regard reiterated the unwavering support for the struggle of the Cuban people against the US blockade. Finally, he reiterated his presence at the next VI CARICOM-Cuba Summit Meeting, to be held on December 8, in Antigua.
The Cuban leader recalled that on December 8, 1972, Barbados, together with Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana, the only independent nations at that time in the Anglophone Caribbean, decided to establish diplomatic relations with the largest of the Antilles, which constituted at that time a challenge to the aggressive and isolationist policy of the United States against Cuba.
He recalled that on this important event the Cuban leader Fidel Castro said that the founding fathers of the Caribbean integration: Errol Barrow, of Barbados; Forbes Burnham, of Guyana; Michael Manley, from Jamaica and Eric Williams from Trinidad and Tobago, in deciding to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, understood that they were tracing the foreign policy path of the Caribbean Community, which has to date three fundamental characteristics: independence, courage and concerted action.
Comrade Balaguer Cabrera thanked the Barbadian vote against the US blockade and emphasized that once again the countries of the world backed this year in the United Nations the just claim of Cuba to put an end to that criminal policy that has inflicted so much damage, in all orders : economic, political and social, to the people of the Island. The blockade constitutes the greatest obstacle for the economic and social development of the country and for the implementation of the National Plan, in line with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, the Chief of Department of International Relations of the Party stated.
He also reiterated that Cuba will never accept conditions or impositions and will never renounce building a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable nation. He assured that the people will consolidate even more unity around the Party, for the defense of the Revolution and the legacy of Commander Fidel.