Vigie, December 6, 2025 – The Saint Lucia-Cuba Friendship Association Annual Meeting served as a platform to pay tribute to Fidel Castro, Cuba-CARICOM Day, and the call to maintain Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. Other topics related to the Cuban situation, the effects of the blockade, and Cuba's inclusion on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism were also discussed.
Present at the event were the Venezuelan Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Leiff Escalona; the representative of the People's Republic of China; and the former Minister of Labor of Saint Lucia, Virginia Poyotte, who recently completed her term.
The remarks were delivered by the President of the Friendship Association, Marlene Alexander; Ambassador Yenielys Vilma Regueiferos Linares and renowned journalist Earl Bousquet updated those present on the current situation in Cuba, the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, the serious effects of the blockade, and the program of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro's birth.
A graduate from a Cuban university read a message of appreciation to the Cuban government for training Saint Lucian human resources in fields such as healthcare. Another graduate sang a song praising peace, especially during the Christmas season.
Well-deserved recognition was also given to Cuban collaborators in the health and sports sectors on the sister Caribbean island. Doctors and nurses completing their missions received unanimous recognition from those present.
During the event, a Declaration was read that the Association will send to the Caribbean Chapter of the Network of Intellectuals in Defense of Humanity, demanding that the Caribbean region remain a Zone of Peace and that Venezuela no longer be threatened or attacked.
The meeting also included the election of the Association's new board of directors. A review of the year's activities and plans for the coming year were also presented. A particularly moving moment was the tribute paid to members of the Association who are no longer with us.