Raul Castro: The Caribbean can always count on Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 11 (ACN) Cuban president Raul Castro told Caribbean heads of state during his participation in the Cuba-caricom summit held in Antigua and Barbuda, that they can always count on Cuba´s cooperation, support and friendship.

The Cuban President arrived on Saturday in the headquarters of the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda, where he was invited to participate in a special session of the Assembly of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
An emotional tribute to the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, accompanied by a minute of silence dedicated to his memory, offered the members of the OECS, who revered the integrationist legacy of the Commander in Chief.
The representative of Granada, Nicholas Steele, described Fidel as a historic leader of incalculable proportions and firm principles, under whose leadership the Revolution extended its hand to all the dispossessed of the world.
"Never has a country with so few resources achieved so much, even under the effects of a brutal blockade. Never has such a small country reached the world altitude that Cuba has today, "he said.
Also the prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda and of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Gaston Browne and Ralph Gonsalves, dedicated words of praise for the Revolution, Fidel and Raúl. Both leaders also condemned the policy of hostile blockade that the United States maintains against Cuba.
In his words before the Assembly, Raul referred to the challenges that small island nations face in the region, "today we have before us a new and urgent challenge whose outcome depends on the survival of the human species. The confrontation to climate change is a priority that cannot be postponed for all humanity, especially for our peoples who have suffered in the flesh their devastating effects. "
It is time to close ranks and undertake ambitious actions to stop the continued deterioration of Mother Earth, he warned.
The Army General reaffirmed "the unequivocal will of Cuba to continue sharing with the Caribbean brothers the benefits of our modest achievements, in terms of adaptation to climate change and in disaster risk reduction. We assume it as the duty that unites the brotherly peoples. The Caribbean can always count on Cuba. That's how it was and that's how it will be! "
Finally, he thanked "the simple and profound tribute given to the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution."
The official visit of the Cuban president, as well as his participation in the VI CARICOM-Cuba Summit, consolidated the bonds of brotherhood that have historically united Cuba with the other Caribbean nations. In particular, it strengthened relations with Antigua and Barbuda, those that were born in April 1994 and have allowed hundreds of Cuban collaborators to help here and a significant number of their young people studying in Cuban universities, just to mention two examples.