CARICOM Chairman pays tribute to Fidel Castro

In his remarks, the present CARICOM Chairman said that member countries would forever be grateful to the late Cuban leader and the Cuban people for their dedication to development in the region.

“CARICOM will be forever grateful to Fidel and to you, the Cuban people for the great sacrifices you have made, against great adversity, in annually sustaining the training of our professionals for decades on both a bilateral and multilateral basis.”

“It is difficult to identify a sector in any of our economies that Cuba and Comrade Fidel have not impacted for the better.”

“I can say, without fear of being contradicted, that our health services would be the poorer, but for the generous hand of Fidel at critical times in our development,” Skerrit said.

Prime Minister Skerrit referred to the late Fidel as a “true friend” who had a genuine interest in the peculiar challenges besetting small island states and who readily assisted, not only in thought and talk, but in deed.

 “Cuba now mourns the loss of a great leader, teacher and father; we share the pain and emptiness that you feel, for we have lost a faithful and valued friend.”

“His memory lives on in our mission to provide for our people and to build a world in which justice, fairness and peace prevail,” Skerrit said.

In 2008, CARICOM awarded the iconic political giant with its highest honour, the Order of the Caribbean Community. Fidel Castro is the only non-CARICOM citizen to whom this award has been accorded.