President honoured at launch of Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association

May 26, 2014 News

President Donald Ramotar and four Ministers of Government were among other Guyanese recognised by the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association for fostering relations between the two countries, at the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association’s launch this evening at the Cuban Embassy on High Street.

President Donald Ramotar with First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar and the Cuban Ambassador to Guyana and his wife at the official Launch of the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association

A GINA release stated that President Ramotar, who attended the function in the company of First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, received a token of appreciation. Minister of Home Affairs and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee, Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran (who was absent) and Minister of Public Service Dr. Jennifer Westford were also presented tokens.
During the ceremony, President Ramotar recalled that it was the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) that first established relations with Cuba, when the country was seen as an outcast, years before diplomatic relationship was established between Guyana and Cuba in 1972.
The President said that when no one wanted to touch Cuba, it was the PPP which under the guise of a trade team had a Cuban in Guyana establishing representation.
“At that time the cold war was at its height and countries in the region were fearful of antagonising the United States and forming relations with Cuba. In 1959, the US issued an embargo forbidding trade against Cuba for aligning itself with the Soviet Union.
“We (the PPP) were the first one in this whole western hemisphere to break the blockade for Cuba and we were still a colony,” President Ramotar.

President Donald Ramotar receives a token for his work in fostering relations between Guyana and Cuba from the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association

President Ramotar recalled that the then Government sold rice, slippers and timber to Cuba, the latter so they could construct their railways.
It was the PPP that was instrumental in forming the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Society to popularise and decriminalise the mentality that people had of Guyana. The Friendship Society which in later years floundered was two years ago replaced by the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association.
Today, the two countries have over 40 years of the relationship between them built on the solid foundation of dynamic political dialogue, warm mutual respect and productive cooperation.
The Guyana/Cuba pact also made possible technical support in the construction of four diagnostic and treatment centres and a state-of -the -art eye care facility at Port Mourant.

A member of the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association presents Minister of Home Affairs and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee with a token of appreciation

Cuban Ambassador Julio Gonzalez, who also addressed the ceremony, spoke of Cuba’s struggles, its historic partnership with Guyana and on the eve of Guyana’s 48th Independence Anniversary, the Ambassador pledged the continued support to Guyana on behalf of his Government.
Ambassador Gonzalez expressed Cuba’s willingness to strengthen the bond of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. He expressed hope that the Guyana-Cuba Friendship Association would promote and honour the necessary solidarity that would favour the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries.