Persad-Bissessar hails US-Cuba move

FOLLOWING REPEATED CALLS over recent years, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is hailing the resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Cuba.

The Prime Minister’s statement came on the heels of announcements by US President, Barack Obama and Cuban President, Raul Castro, on Wednesday December 17, 2014 that diplomatic ties with Cuba will be restarted, after a 50 year-long stand off.

On a number of occasions over the past four years, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, in reiterating Trinidad and Tobago’s long held position, has called for an end to the difficult relations between the United States and Cuba, through the re-establishment of diplomatic ties and the lifting of a US imposed economic embargo.

As recently as September 2014, in her statement to the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said: “On the point of a revitalised global partnership in support of sustainable development I would wish to strongly reiterate the support of Trinidad and Tobago for an end to the economic embargo against Cuba.”

In denouncing the embargo on Cuba the Prime Minister told world leaders that “the perpetuation of these measures against a developing country undermines our collective aspirations for a post-2015 development agenda where no one is left behind.”

Commending both leaders, the Prime Minister said: “Today’s announcement by President Obama and President Castro is a huge leap in a positive direction. Socially, economically, geographically, we are all joined in a common mission of a better and more secure life for our people. After almost half a century, two very close neighbours have started talking again and we can expect a great deal of benefit to redound to the people of both nations and indeed to the entire region.”