The Cuban Handshake

Havana, December 8 (Radio Habana Cuba) — “Caribbean nations will always be able to count on Cuba,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Sunday, recalling this date in 1972 that marked the beginning of diplomatic relations with a group of countries in that region.

The president quoted on the social network X the historical leader of the Cuban revolutionary process, Fidel Castro, who in 1998 stated that “we believe in the strength of a united Caribbean. We are convinced that together we will overcome the great challenges that await us.”

The fraternal ties of the Caribbean island and the 14 Caribbean states, members of Caricom, were recalled by the Cuban president and other officials of his government, in activities celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of political ties.

On the occasion of the celebration, Díaz-Canel received last Friday, at the Palace of the Revolution (headquarters of the Government), the 14 ambassadors of the countries that make up Caricom. “We met to embrace each other,” said the president.

He also highlighted the ties of brotherhood with these nations, which, led by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad Tobago, formalized, on that date, diplomatic relations with Cuba to break the diplomatic isolation imposed by the Government of the United States, since the beginning of the 1960s.

This fact shows the deep ties of brotherhood that unite us, and the continuity of the ideology and the work of our historical leaders, who forged the bases for the consolidation of our relations, framed in principles of solidarity, friendship, selflessness and gratitude, said the Cuban president on the occasion.

In the same vein, and through the social network itself, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez ratified the solidarity position of the Cuban government and people with the Caribbean nations, which have always supported the island’s cause for the end of the US blockade of more than six decades.

The remaining Caribbean territories also developed ties of friendship and collaboration with Cuba, which led to the implementation of the Caricom-Cuba summit mechanism in 2002.

At that meeting, the subregional bloc and Havana agreed to establish December 8 as the date of celebration for the beginning of their ties.

Mexico City, Dec 8 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban ambassador to Mexico, Marcos Rodríguez, today thanked the governor of Chiapas, Eduardo Ramírez, for his recognition and wishes for the future implementation of the Yo Sí Puedo program, to lift half a million people out of illiteracy.

“We appreciate the kind words of Governor @ramirezlalo_ towards Cuba during his inauguration, as well as the recognition and wishes for the future implementation of the Yo Sí Puedo program, to lift half a million Chiapas residents out of illiteracy,” he said on X.

Yes, I Can is a Cuban teaching method in which numbers are used to facilitate the learning process of reading and writing by associating numbers with letters, and through which more than 10 million citizens in thirty countries have been taught to read and write.

The diplomat attended Ramírez’s inauguration on Sunday, wishing him success in his administration. He also reaffirmed the southern state’s willingness to strengthen its cooperation programs with the island.

During the ceremony, “we exchanged experiences with great friends who have helped strengthen the historic relations between Cuba and Mexico, and we reaffirm our commitment to continue promoting cooperation in all spheres,” added Rodriguez.

The day before, the ambassador held a meeting, which he described as fruitful, with Cuban doctors who provide their collaboration in various municipalities of Chiapas.

With them, “we discussed the state of cooperation, the altruistic work they do, concerns, and ongoing communication with the Brigade and @EmbaCuMex,” he wrote.

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Santiago de Chile, Dec 6 (Prensa Latina) Cuba participated in Chile at the meeting of the board of directors of the Regional Conference on Women, which agreed to strengthen the institutional framework to advance towards gender equality, one of the challenges in Latin America today.

In declarations to Prensa Latina, Yaneidys Pérez, from the national secretariat of the Cuban Women Federation, stated that the meeting dealt with issues that must be addressed urgently.

She mentioned among them the labor and wage gaps, the burden of unpaid care work on women, gender-based violence and the situations of vulnerability suffered by some women and girls.

One of the purposes of the event at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) was to review the progress of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, on the eve of the thirtieth anniversary of its adoption in 2025.

This is the broadest and most visionary program to achieve equity, empowerment of women and the realization of their human rights.

In the case of Cuba, the leader recalled that Article 43 of the Constitution provides a legal framework for the advancement of women, since the State promotes their integral development and social participation, ensures their sexual and reproductive rights and protects them from gender violence.

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Havana, December 6 (Radio Habana Cuba) — The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel received this Friday at the Palace of the Revolution, the ambassadors of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago (December 8). 

“I reiterated our admiration and affection, and thanked them for their solidarity and support for the Cuban people,” the president said from his X account.

Díaz-Canel confirmed to the 14 representatives of the sister Caribbean islands the Cuban government’s willingness to continue expanding ties.

“The Caribbean can always count on the Cuban Revolution, and on the support, friendship and solidarity of our people,” he assured them.

The head of state conveyed to them a hug from Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, an admirer of the dignity of the Caribbean brothers.    (Source: ACN)