Entitled "Revolutionary Cuba has much to share with the Caribbean", Cuban Ambassador Francisco Fernández sent an article to the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Nation newspaper, Eric Smith, with a view to be published in the "Guest Column" section in response to his disrespectful editorial published on April 23 "Expect few changes in Cuba", in which not only a poor report on the recent elections in Cuba is delivered, but skewed analysis on CARICOM-Cuba relations is made, ending with a call for interfering actions on Cuban internal affairs that is very far from the respectful and solidary essence that have characterized these links since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972; the entire answer is as follows: We appreciate this opportunity to provide some comments and updated information on the Editorial published by this newspaper on April 23.
First of all, while we recognize and welcome your right to evaluate the recent elections in Cuba, we would have wanted you to adopt a more comprehensive approach to analyzing the intensely democratic 4-month process in which the Cuban people elected, in successive phases, their delegates in the Constituencies, the Assemblies of Popular Power, and in all of the country's municipalities and provinces, until constituting on April 19 the National Assembly (Parliament) composed of 605 Deputies, who later elected the 31 members of the Council of State, including our new President who will lead the younger generations of Cubans to continue the revolutionary legacy of José Martí and Fidel Castro.
The most notable elements of the results of that electoral process speak for themselves about the inherently democratic nature of our participatory political system. The new Parliament is composed of 53.2% women, 45% blacks and mestizos, and 87.6% of members born after the triumph of the Revolution. Note as well that 48% of the deputies were directly elected in their constituencies, while the rest were candidates proposed by social and mass organisations in hundreds of assemblies around the country. Furthermore, at least once every six months each deputy must render an account of their performance to their constituents, who can recall them at any time during their term.
The new Council of State also shows a broad popular representation. Of its 31 members, 16 are women (48%), with 2 of them being Vice-Presidents; 45% black and mestizo; 13 of the members were elected for the first time; 77% are born after the triumph of the Revolution; and its membership includes scientists, academics, athletes, military personnel, industrial and services workers, as well as the leaders of the five major national social and mass organisations.
Our second comment would be about the Editorial's inadequate analysis of the relations between Cuba and the states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), perhaps due to the lack of updated information. The result was that the Editorial presented a biased evaluation of the real nature of relations between sister nations that share the same history, sealed by solidarity, friendship, goodwill, gratitude and fulsome support, with uninterrupted cooperation in the spheres of education, health, agriculture, construction, energy, sports, culture, natural disasters, environment and the training of human resources.
Contrary to what the Editorial suggests, there are plenty of reasons to have faith in the commitment made by our new president Miguel Díaz-Canel before Parliament that while there will be changes and developments that there will be continuity of the Revolution (a commitment which embodies the decision of the Cuban people) without any negotiating of fundamental principles, without any compromises of our sovereignty and independence, without any possibility of a capitalist restoration, but to perfect our Socialism, which will maintain its foreign policy unchanged, upholding the sacred duty of internationalism and international solidarity, especially within our Latin American and Caribbean region .
Dr. Fidel Castro uttered a phrase that is still engraved in the hearts of Cubans, when -- in recognizing the brave act of the visionary leaders of the first four independent Caribbean countries in establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba -- he stated that they "showed a new way to the further foreign policy of the Caribbean Community with three peculiarities: independence, courage and concerted actions". The validity of this thought is reflected in the tribute paid by Cuba every 8th December to CARICOM-Cuba Day, as well as in the results of the six bilateral Summit Meetings of Heads of State and Government held every three years since 1972.
Additionally, the Second Protocol that updated the CARICOM-Cuba Economic Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2017, enabling more than 300 Caribbean products to receive free access to the Cuban market. In the VI Summit last December, MOUs on natural disasters and multi-destination tourism were also signed; and Cuba ratified its advisory and funding to implement three regional projects for the Caribbean: namely, the annual training in Cuba of Caribbean personnel in natural disasters management, a Regional School of Arts in Jamaica, and a Stimulation Center for children and young people with special educational needs, in Guyana.
Finally, given the nature of the close and mutually respectful CARICOM-Cuba relations, we reject and condemn the disrespectful call that the Editorial launched in its last paragraph to the effect that "CARICOM must pressure Diaz-Canel to improve his image of human rights in Cuba and its democratic conditions". Far from the adoption of any such policy of disrespect and interference, and based on our Cuban and CARICOM principles-based foreign policy as well as on those Caribbean values early recognised by Fidel, our relationships will keep marching along a path of mutual solidarity, cooperation and complementarity.
We will not address here, for obvious reasons of space, the extraordinary performance of our country in human rights-- an achievement which is recognized throughout the United Nations (UN) system. In this regard, we invite all readers to follow up-- this May 16-- the Cuban presentation of its third report in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the UN Human Rights Council (CODEHU), of which Cuba is both a founding member and a consecutively reelected member in light of Cuba's record of (among other things) having signed 44 of the 61 international instruments in this matter, which places Cuba at the forefront of the international community.
The moral authority and prestige achieved by Cuba in the eyes of our sister nations of the Caribbean is all the greater in light of the fact that everything Cuba has achieved has been conquered by the sacrifice of our people, facing the longest and most cruel economic, commercial and financial blockade in the history of humankind-- a blockade that is defined by international law as an act of genocide-- and being at the same time the main obstacle to the full exercise of the human rights of the Cuban people.
Dr. Francisco Fernández Peña
Cuban Ambassador to Barbados