By Clint Chan Tack
Friday, December 9 2011 – newsday.co.tt
CUBAN PRESIDENT Raul Castro yesterday slammed United States (US) President Barack Obama for failing to keep a commitment he made at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain in April 2009 to lift the 49-year-old embargo which the US placed on Cuba since 1962.
Castro issued this condemnation as he addressed the opening ceremony of the Fourth Caricom- Cuba Summit at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA).
His condemnation came on the heels of calls earlier in the ceremony by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas for the embargo to be lifted. The embargo was implemented against Cuba by US President John F Kennedy on February 7, 1962.
In thanking Caricom nations for supporting Cuba against “an embargo that remains essentially unchanged,” Castro noted that Obama had announced the partial relaxation of regulations imposed on the island which would allow Cubans resident in the US to send remittances back to their relatives in Cuba.
However, the Cuban leader slammed Obama for taking no concrete steps to lift the embargo.
“The expectations of the so-called 2009 Summit of the Americas held in this city (Port-of-Spain) have failed to rise above the rhetoric,” Castro declared.
Full Article : newsday.co.tt
Caricom leaders call on US: Lift embargo on Cuba now
Caricom to US: End Cuba embargo
Caricom chairman Dr Denzil Douglas yesterday called on the United States Government to immediately end the trade embargo imposed against Cuba
Cuban President: Only partial Obama relaxation
Cuban President Raul Castro delivered his maiden address to Trinidad and Tobago in an historic visit yesterday, criticising the outcome of the multi-million dollar fifth summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain in 2009.
Castro cries for help
Cuban President Raul Castro yesterday lashed out at developed countries, saying they have been of no help to Cuba and small islands in terms of dealing with climate change and the global economic meltdown.
President wants closer ties with Cuba
President George Maxwell Richards says Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba should move towards establishing closer ties in the fields of culture, tourism, sport and academia.
Caricom, Cuba defend TT against US
Caricom leaders and Cuban President Raul Castro last night described the intervention by United States (US) authorities to prevent the hosting of the Caricom-Cuba Summit at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s as “an intrusion of the United States against the sovereignty of Trinidad and Tobago”.
Fitun head cries ‘shame on US’, Hilton
MSJ: Challenge to sovereignty
PM: No way it was late
“There was no way it was too late.” This was stated yesterday by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as she made it clear that her Government did not falter or was in any way negligent with respect to seeking the relevant permission to have the Cuba/Caricom Summit hosted at the Hilton Trinidad hotel in Port of Spain.
Haiti minister tries to woo T&T businesses
HAITI’s foreign minister, Laurent Lamothe, said yesterday what his country needs now is not so much emergency aid but solid investments.
…Haiti wants trade, not aid
A bottle of sacred water from the Mount
A BOTTLE of sacred water from Mount St Benedict was the gift Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar gave to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during her recent there last weekend.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2011/12/10/us-not-ready-lift-cuban-embargo
Translation , do as I say , not as I do, you none independent , disorganized, political peons , who cannot develop a coherent Foreign Policy strategy, because you so wish to be loved ,while being treated with utter contempt, on every conceivable issue. I am of course referring to unfair immigration,imbalanced trade, dumping of young, sometimes innocent ,alleged criminals, who grew up in America ,but are dumped back into your countries with impunity, in barbarian, dehumanizing fashion.
In the meantime , each leader , especially our own T&T Queen K, is doing the limbo break dance, to see who can better kiss the ring – for want of a better word -of President Barrack O, who for political expediency,still lack the courage, to finally address one of the last anomalies in history -and cement his name in the bastion of great American leaders – namely ,the demonization of a people , due to the outdate follies of their anachronistic, dinosauric thinking leaders ,still living in the past Golden , Cold War era, as everyone else move forward.
Then really , who are we kidding when it comes to Caricom, led by political Schizophrenic bozos ,from Trinidad and Tobago, who selectively treats peoples of certain countries in the region with contempt , while others like blood relatives.
Did we say , “no more blank checks ,” but noooo , come one, come all, from de English Speaking, South American fiefdom, and while at it, take our propose smelter plant,and the thousands of jobs ,that could have more rightfully gone to desperate Trinis, from Labrea to Matlot, Toco , to Claxton Bay?
A region where they cannot come to grips with the fact that no ex colonial country, can be truly independent , or call themselves Sovereign States ,that still have White Europeans interpreting their laws , via the anachronistic Privy Council, and worst yet, still bow to the throne of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2.
My country , and region as a whole ,have seen some very dark days , and this is just one of them unfortunately. During the ugly Cold War period,for example, the folks of Jamaica, and Guyana ,have historically felt the brunt of a skewed CIA controlled ,destructive political beat down, that saw citizens , tragically pitted against each, within racial,ethnic , and class lines.
We saw another disgusting power grab in Grenada ,some years ago under some stupid guise , followed by his Royalty Ronald Reagan Caribbean Basin Initiative crumbs, and remember how that ended.
Fast forward to 2011, and it still appears as if , once allowed , American leaders ,will continually seek ways ,to enhance their country’s own narrow interest , even at the detriment of Caribbean friends , and peace loving neighbors , led by T&T?
Here , approximately 80 % of the doctors that help keep our decrepit Health Service afloat due to brain drain abroad ,of our own ,are from Cuba.
90% , or more ,of our oil ,and gas ,are sold to big Papi America, as our fake business gurus , continually import useless cheap products for local consumption.
The entire banana industry ,is almost dead, as America thumb it nose at them , opting instead to support of it’s own corporations, and promoting the wishes of self serving Washingtonian lobbyists , that prefers to their own operations in tax havens, and choice places ,such as Costa Rica.
Need I say more?
Oh , but we are an emerging country, they say , just like Brazil is , since one of our now famous ‘Suitcase Babies,’ recently won some opaque fashion show ,design competition, and possibly a movie deal for past …….HEY ..not me , you fill in de blanks,hmmm? J
ust maybe, they add , we can parlay this into a some wonderful, Tourist oriented , cottage fashion, business industry . Well …, who knows which way is up anymore?
We wish our people well!
Luv Humanity!