HABANA, Cuba
Prime Minister the Hon. Baldwin Spencer accompanied by Junior Minister of Health the Hon. Winston Williams, Ambassador Designate to Cuba HE Bruce Goodwin and Cuban Medical Team Coordinator Dr. Geovando Martinez, over the weekend paid a visit to the Republic of Cuba where they participated in the graduation of medical students from the Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina.
The medical school currently has over 12, 000 students studying from across the Caribbean, Latin America and the USA.
Prime Minister Spencer, who was specially invited to attend the graduation ceremony of the 1841 doctors (6 Antiguans and Barbudans) by President Fidel Castro, also visited the Antiguan and Barbudan patients who are in Cuba undergoing eye treatment under a special programme established by Cuba and Venezuela. The over 121 patients were elated to see Prime Minister Spencer and his team and expressed profound gratitude to his government and the Cubans for the initiative. The Prime Minister's team also received a medial update on the status of the patients from the doctors in Cuba.
The country's leader also participated in a specially convened meeting with Heads of State of Latin America and the Caribbean chaired by President Fidel Castro and President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
The discussions centered on closer relations between the Caribbean and Latin America, the PETROCARIBE initiative of Venezuela and the Cuban Eye-care Programme.
During an intervention, Prime Minister Spencer called for an urgent summit of the Caribbean and Latin America to chart out an integration framework for the region.
"There is an urgent need for us to meet and concretize the movement towards closer cooperation. The functional cooperation espoused by Prime Minister Gonsalves and Skerrit needs to be advanced in light of the effects of globalization on the Caribbean," he said.
It was widely agreed that Cuba and Venezuela should be the axis towards the development to advance cooperation into integration between the Caribbean and Latin America.
The meeting which was also attended by the Prime Ministers of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines along with the leaders of Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela, also highlighted the need for Latin America namely Cuba and Venezuela to assist countries whose sugar and banana industries are affected by new trade regulations.
It was agreed that a special commission will be appointed to chart the future of an integration movement between the Caribbean and Latin America. In addition, the PETROCARIBE initiative mounted by Venezuela to provide fuel to the region will be officially instituted with the signing of agreements to commence shipments at a meeting in Jamaica on September 8.
Digital Photos by Maurice F. Merchant |
PM Spencer and Ambassador Goodwin in discussion with Cuban doctors on the status of Antiguan patients 
