Basseterre, May 27: In a statement released on May 27, the Council for Foreign and Community Relations of the CARICOM expressed its deep concern over the economic, commercial, and financial measures imposed and intensified against the Republic of Cuba, which have hurt the lives and livelihoods of the Cuban people.
The statement unequivocally affirms Cuba’s sovereign right to import and receive fuel, and condemns the obstruction of energy supplies by the United States, which has precipitated a serious humanitarian situation.
The Declaration also reaffirms the need to preserve the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and expresses alarm over statements suggesting the possibility of military aggression against Cuba.
COFCOR also reiterates that Cuba does not represent a threat to any nation, that it stands as a peaceful and cooperative member of the international community, and that the continued application of these unilateral coercive measures constitutes an unjustifiable violation of human rights, the principles of free trade, and the fundamental norms governing relations between sovereign states.
Cuba expresses its gratitude for the declaration issued by the Council for Foreign and Community Relations of CARICOM, which reaffirms the principles of solidarity, respect for international law, and the defense of peace in our region.
It also states that the “firm and committed voice” of COFCOR represents significant support for the Cuban people at a time of major challenges, as well as a call for dialogue, cooperation, and respect for the sovereignty of Caribbean nations.
Read the Declaration:
STATEMENT from the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations |Situation in Cuba
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) expresses its profound concern regarding the ongoing and intensifying economic, commercial, and financial measures imposed upon the Republic of Cuba. The COFCOR reminds that the mounting hardships facing the Cuban people also seriously impact CARICOM nationals studying and living in Cuba, whose well-being remains a priority for the Community.
These measures compound the trade and economic embargo imposed on Cuba for over six decades, which has had a deleterious effect on the lives and livelihoods of the Cuban people.
COFCOR unequivocally affirms Cuba’s sovereign right to import and receive fuel, and condemns the obstruction of energy supplies to Cuba, which has precipitated a grave humanitarian crisis.
COFCOR reaffirms the need for the preservation of the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and expresses alarm at recent statements that suggest the possibility of military aggression against the Republic of Cuba; any such action would inflict unnecessary human suffering, impose grave material costs, and fundamentally destabilize the security architecture of the entire Caribbean region.
As a matter of international law and in solidarity with the resolutions adopted year after year by the overwhelming majority of United Nations member states, the COFCOR reaffirms that Cuba poses no threat to any nation, that it stands as a peaceful and cooperative member of the international community, and that the continued application of these unilateral coercive measures constitutes an unjustifiable violation of human rights, the principles of free trade, and the fundamental norms governing relations among sovereign states.
The Cooperative Republic of Guyana and The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago reserve their positions on the foregoing Statement.