Guyana will be attending the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, USA next month but will continue to support CARICOM in its campaign for fair treatment of its long-time ally, Cuba.
“I want to say we have worked with heads in CARICOM in relation to the Summit of the Americas. We have examined issues that surrounded Cuba, for example. We have raised those with the US Government as CARICOM heads. And in in raising those issues, we have seen some movement in the positive direction and we want to see this continuous aggressive move,” President Irfaan Ali said at a press conference at State House yesterday.
“We will continue to represent the decision of Heads (of Government of CARICOM); that is we must forge a stronger relationship and lay the framework, through which there will be enhanced cooperation and advancement of the dialogue with Cuba and the US,” he added.
Ali said that the Summit, where leaders from the Americas will meet, is a positive step towards a broad discussion and laying plans for the way forward “in the direction of climate change, energy security, food security…” and that Guyana “wants to be a part of those conversations.”
Earlier this month, CARICOM members were locked in intense discussion on the possibility of boycotting the Summit over the reported intention not to invite Cuba.
Their posture followed comments on April 27 by US Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols who described Cuba’s, Venezuela’s and Nicaragua’s attendance at the Californian summit as “unlikely.”
The Trinidad Guardian had reported that Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley had said that some regional leaders had raised the possibility of boycotting the event if Cuba and Venezuela were not invited, but no final decision had been taken.
Yesterday, Rowley updated the media at the joint press conference with Ali on CARICOM’s position saying that the regional body will soon be issuing a press release.
Rowley said that said that over the weeks, CARICOM has been busy trying to ensure that the meeting takes place “with as little disruption as possible”, even as he informed that the region has made some inroads in its discussions with the United States on its position.
“At CARICOM, we had tried to lead an influence on what the Summit is. Our position is that the Summit of the Americas should be a meeting of all the countries of the Americas. The United States as the host country had a different point of view. We did argue and make our case known.
CARICOM had decided that three of their leaders would engage the US on the matter. They did engage the US and arising out of those contacts, Rowley said that “you would have seen the US has backed away a bit in its treatment of Cuba and made some concessions.”
Rowley is optimistic that most heads of CARICOM will be attending as he announced his country’s planned participation.
“Trinidad and Tobago will be attending the summit and I expect that if all the majority of my colleagues will be there. We have some serious matters to engage the United States on and we look forward to that,” he said.
