00:00A group of former Caribbean presidents and prime ministers is calling for urgent international action to address what they describe
00:08as a worsening humanitarian crisis in Cuba.
00:11In the joint statement issued today, the former leaders expressed deep concern over a January 29th executive order by the
00:20United States targeting countries that supply oil to Cuba.
00:24They argue the measure amounts to economic warfare and has intensified hardship for the Cuban people.
00:31The statement was authorized by the office of P.J. Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, and signed by several
00:38former regional leaders, including Donald Ramatar of Guyana,
00:43Frandell Stewart of Barbados, Edison James of Dominica, Tillman Thomas of Grenada, Bruce Golding of Jamaica, Kenny Anthony of St.
00:52Lucia, and Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago.
00:55The former leaders say the restrictions on fuel supplies threaten Cuba's access to energy, food, medicine, and other essential services
01:03for its 11 million citizens.
01:06They also reflected on the historic decision taken in 1972 by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago to establish
01:15diplomatic relations with Cuba,
01:17a move they described as an assertion of regional sovereignty.
01:21The statement highlights Cuba's decades of support to Caribbean nations through medical brigades, scholarships, disaster relief, and technical assistance.
01:30The signatories are urging the United States government to rescind what they call an inhumane and coercive policy,
01:38arguing it violates international law and to deepen civilian suffering.
01:42They are also appealing to the wider international community to provide humanitarian assistance to Cuba.
01:48The former leaders say CARICOM's tradition of solidarity must guide the region's response, declaring,
01:55We stand with the people of Cuba. We stand as the zone of peace. We stand for a shared Caribbean
02:02future.
02:03And Prime Minister Kamala Pissot-Visasa is pushing back strongly against the statement.
02:08In a pointed response, the Prime Minister questioned what she described as support for communism and dictatorship
02:14by leaders who themselves rose to office through democratic elections.
02:19She wrote,
02:20Every one of those eight former leaders participated in democratic elections to become a leader
02:25and would want to continue to vote in democratic elections in the future to choose their leaders.
02:31You can't advocate for others to live under communism and dictatorship,
02:35but want to live under democracy and capitalism yourself.
02:40Passat-Visasa reaffirmed her commitment to what she outlined as core democratic principles,
02:46including free and fair multi-party elections, equality before the law, the rule of law,
02:51majority rule with minority rights, separation of powers, accountability and transparency,
02:58and freedom of expression and association.
03:01She also declared her continued support for capitalism and says she has no difficulty expressing those views to her CARICOM
03:08counterparts.
03:08She further contended that under the communist dictatorship,
03:12the former leaders who signed the statement may not have been able to publicly express their opinions,
03:18arguing that genuine freedom of expression would not exist in such a system.
03:23In closing, Passat-Visasa posed what she called a fundamental question.
03:28Why former leaders believe they and their supporters should have the right to contest democratic elections,
03:35while Cuban citizens, she implied, do not enjoy the same opportunity.
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