43 years of fruitful relations
April 14 th 2022 marked the 43rd anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between Grenada and Cuba, a day which all Grenadians should celebrate and be proud of. With the triumph of the Grenada Revolution on 13 th March 1979, the People's Revolutionary Government(PRG) under the leadership of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop wasted no time in establishing relations with Cuba, another revolutionary country. Within a month of the triumph, a new era of relations between Cuba and Grenada began, a relationship which Grenada and many Grenadians have benefitted from.
With the establishment of these new relations, Cuba immediately extended a helping hand to Grenada by first sending arms and ammunition requested by the Revolutionary Government to secure and defend the revolution and to repel any mercenary invasion from the outside. With the establishment of the People's Revolutionary Army(PRA), Grenadians young and old volunteered and signed up to be part of this force who in the initial stages of the revolution received military training from Cuban military advisers who were instrumental in training the hierarchy of the army. Other Grenadians went sent to Cuban military academies to undergo training.
Within months of these new relations, dozens of Grenadians were selected and sent to Cuba to undertake university and technical courses at Cuban institutions where they received free tuition, housing, books, clothes and even a stipend on a monthly basis for their personal needs. Grenadians were welcomed by Cubans with open arms and considering that it was a new culture with a new language which many were unfamiliar with, Grenadians students felt at home with the warmth and the love that they received from the Cuba people. Adjusting to Cuban societal norms was not a chore but an exciting challenge that everyone undertook with honour and pleasure. The only condition that Cuba insisted on was that Graduates should return to Grenada and help to build the revolution, nothing more.
At the same time Cuba dispatched some of its professionals to work and to assess the needs of Grenadians. Within weeks of the revolution, Cuban doctors and dentists arrived in Grenada to assist with the health care needs of the population, providing free medical and dental care to thousands of Grenadians
One of the first priorities of the Revolutionary government was the building of an international airport, a monumental task which Cuba decided to undertake by sending equipment and personnel to transform that dream into a reality for the Grenadian people. Cubans working side by side with Grenadians were able to build the biggest infrastructural project in the history of the country that still stand today as a monument to Grenada-Cuba relations.
The internal conflict that unfolded in 1983 which culminated with the brutal and senseless slaying of Prime Minister Bishop, several of his Cabinet colleagues and many innocent Grendians at the hands of Bernard Coard and his henchmen, followed by the invasion of Grenada by US forces brought to a premature end a level of cooperation and development that was destined to take Grenada to higher heights that were beyond the expectations of Grenadians. If many of the signed agreements for cooperation in different fields of development had come to fruition instead of being prematurely cut off, Grenada would have seen unprecedented progress.
Relations between Grenada and Cuba took a downturn and was suspended after the US invasion in 1983. However, this did not stop Cuba from continuing to render assistance to the Grenadians as academic scholarships were still provided to Grenadains who were sent through the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement(MBPM). It was not until 1990 with the National Democratic Congress(NDC) coming into office that those relations were restored but still kept at a very low level. However, with the New National Party(NNP) coming into office in 1997' full diplomatic relations with exchange of Ambassadors took effect once again followed by Prime Minister Keith Mitchell taking the bold no decisive step to make an official visit to Cuba.this was reciprocated with the visit of Cuban President Fidel Castro to Grenada in August 1998.
Since then relations have been on a firm footing once again and the two countries enjoy warm and fraternal relations which has been going from strength to strength. As many as 60 Grenadians are pursuing university degrees in Cuba and Cuban personnel are continuing to provide assistance in Grenada.
Cuba's assistance to Grenada over the last 43 years easily runs into the millions of dollars and that assistance has been provided in a selfless manner with no strings attached. Considering the world's economic situation and Cuba's own problems, economically and otherwise, this level of assistance and cooperation seems all the more incredible especially when the developed world hardly provides any or if they do it is with strict conditionalities. Cuba is not only a friend in need, it is a friend indeed.
Prime Minister Mitchell, Foreign Minister Oliver Joseph and Agriculture Minister Peter David together with members of the diplomatic Corps , China and Venezuela in particular, Cuban collaborators and Grenadians were in attendance. Not only was it important to celebrate this activity especially at this time, but noteworthy that this relationship has strengthened and will continue to do so for the foreseeable ................Just Food For Thought