HAVANA, Cuba – Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was awarded the Order of Jose Marti on Tuesday night, noting that the Cuban revolution is no longer one of guns but one of ideas, “which seeks to elevate the dominant principle of our world as the dignity of the human person”.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit receives the Order of Jose Marti from President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez at the end of his two-day official visit to Cuba on Tuesday nightThe Order of Joe Marti is named after the Cuban national hero, who became the symbol of Cuba’s struggle for independence, and Skerrit, who ended a two-day official visit here, praised Havana for “holding fast to the ideas and ideals of Jose Martí, to the revolutionary spirit of Ché Guevarra and to the vigor and vision of Comrade El Presidente Fidel.
“Through the example of the Cuban people, the world has seen that size is no bar to excellence or global leadership; that determination is the greatest driver for success; and that the human spirit is indomitable in its quest for dignity and freedom,” Skerrit said, adding that “I sense that revolutionary spirit still in this land”.
He said the Cuban revolution has shown the world that despite the global contention of war and trial, there is reward in the desire for and pursuit of peace and that on the landscape of underdevelopment and poverty, nation-states can offer citizens equity and inclusion; that against bitter oppression, countries must stand on the side of social and economic justice.
“The world has witnessed the failings of the naked idolization of capital, but Cuba’s voice has been firm and consistent in insisting that first and foremost, must be the prioritization of the human person.
“For the people of Cuba, ideas and principles of peace, dignity, prosperity, freedom, self-determination, justice, equity and a generosity which seeks always to improve the condition of people everywhere, are not abstract constructs.”
Skerrit, who held talks with President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez during his visit, said history will record that at every stage of the existence of the independent Cuba, “you have remained true to your principles.
“When enlightenment and upliftment were necessary, the education and health care systems of Cuba provided gateways of universal access, that placed the person at the center of development and demonstrated how a society should care for its citizens.
“The scientists of Cuba, without the resources of the developed world, have been amongst some of the most pioneering and innovative across the world, particularly in the areas of health sciences. While many countries hope for the achievement of the sustainable development goals, or fear they may not be reached, Cuba has already achieved most of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs.).
Skerrit said that it cannot be denied that Cuba is “a light amongst nations, showing what can be accomplished when a people in a just cause do not let a blockade become a barrier to their success, when they remain rooted to their principles and the chief principle is the dignity of the person.
“It was Cuba which declared that the Caribbean and Americas should be a “zone of peace.” When Africa needed freedom fighters, Cuba was there as a brother in arms. When COVID-19 struck, Cuban health professionals were deployed to every corner of the globe, bringing comfort and healing to many, without discrimination.”
The Dominican Prime Minister said that in the aftermath of almost every humanitarian crisis or natural disaster on the planet, Cuba is always amongst the first responders, offering tangible support in restoring normalcy.
“Many nations across the world have been the recipients of Cuba’s generosity, friendship, brotherhood, and solidarity. It is for these reasons that Cuba should be celebrated, saluted, and honored,” he said, adding “I look forward to the day when Cuba will no longer be the target of a continuing imperialism and will be allowed to fully take its deserved and rightful place among the family of nations”.
The United States embargo against Cuba prevents American businesses, and businesses organized under US law or majority-owned by American citizens, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.
Washington maintains the comprehensive economic embargo on the Cuba in place since 1962, when President John F. Kennedy proclaimed an embargo on trade between the two countries in response to certain actions taken by the Cuban government, and directed the Departments of Commerce and the Treasury to implement the embargo, which still remains in place.
