The Government of Dominica has brought a resolution before Parliament calling on the United States of America (USA) to remove the trade embargo against Cuba.
The resolution was tabled by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vince Henderson on Monday.
The United States embargo against Cuba is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo partially imposed on Cuba in October 1960. The trade embargo prevents American businesses, and businesses with commercial activities in the United States, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It was enacted after Cuba nationalized the properties of United States citizens and corporations and it was strengthened to a near-total embargo since February 7, 1962.
While speaking during parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit describes the long-standing trade embargo on Cuba as an injustice.
“And I want to say to the Dominican people, because sometimes I think that we in this part of the world, sometimes we quiver, we don’t want to speak, we are afraid to speak because we believe that we are attacking the United States of America, but this is not the case,” he said. “We are not attacking the United States of America.”
He continued, “What we are speaking about is an injustice that has been imposed on a nation since 1962. And it was imposed on Cuba. Cuba did not bomb anybody, Cuba did not engage in any terrorist activities.”
Skerrit added, “We have to be a people who stand on the side of justice and equality and respect, on human rights.”
Skerrit pointed out that his government will continue to stand in solidarity with Cuba.
“Wherever this government goes, whenever we get an opportunity, whoever is representing this government, we have a clear mandate that we must stand in solidarity with Cuba and we must always call for the removal of the embargo against Cuba,” he stated. “We are not doing so because of the scholarships Cuba has given to us, or the doctors and nurses who are here. This doesn’t change our principal position.”
Doctor who?
I would not mind if someone would take the time to explain to me what kind of doctor is Vince Henderson?
Secondly, I wonder who are these nobody corrupted crooks are trying to impress with their nonsensical hallucinating thoughts of taking some resolution to Dominica’s Parliament. Who in this universe cares about the scum of the earth people like Roosevelt and Vince?
You see they blow wet-fart out of their mouth in Dominica to impress the idiots who support them, but I would like to challenge Roosevelt Skerrit, and Vince Henderson to prove that they are relevant in world affairs, rather than putting on this comical show in Dominica, to present their resolution to the United Nations, let’s see if it will be recognized, and how many countries will applaud Roosevelt and Vince!
Vince is a bit of scum looking for recognition: I still want to know he is doctor of what?
Dominica government have more doctors in it than any other country on planet earth.
You mean the same Cuba that’s allowed china to build a surveillance centre in Cuba pointing at the USA. Unthinkable that the USA is going to lift an embargo when Cuba is doing everything in its power to not be taken of the embargo list
It would be so nice and refreshing, if the dictators in the Cuban regime would lift the embargo on their voters. Here we elect our own leaders. Should the Cubans not have the privilege to elect the leaders of there choice?
Fella, just think for a moment about what you just wrote, “embargo on their voters”. SERIOUSLY. What about China? Shouldn’t the same standards (embargo) apply to them as well or are those standards only for small defenceless countries? Think fella, think. Don’t allow the US bull crap to cloud your thinking.
Finally, something from this government that I can get behind!
Well Skerrit take your delegation to the White House and have a word with the New Cowboy in Town
…. let him bite your ears…
I said this before and saying it again cockroach have no place in fowl fight according to the late prime minister of SAINT Lucia .and when the prime minister of Dominica says we are not saying this because of the scholarships and medical assistance we get from Cuba this is another of his misleading statements and actions like the ground breaking ceremony he had at Wesley on a site thats been plowed bulldozed ,houses demolished for three years.
I bet Trump is quaking in his boots.
What an ignorant statement coming from a Prime Minister I guess Mr Skerrit has never heard of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962…!!!
How is 1962 missile crisis relevant today? Thousands of American citizens were killed, maimed and severely injured in the Vietnam War. Today, Vietnam and America have diplomatic ties and cooperate on many issues.
The embargo on Cuba by the Americans should have been lifted decades ago. Cuba system of government is similar to China. Why don’t the U.S. stop trading with China and enforce a economic embargo also?
Cuba has done a lot for the world items of health and education. They justifiably
deserve at least our collective voices of support.
IBO, your comment is 150% accurate. Cuba is not a threat to anyone therefore it’s high time to lift this embargo/sanction off the backs of the Cuban people. We need more calls from our sister Islands to that effect in support of our Cuban brothers and sisters. Kudos to Dominica for taking the lead.
Mark, I like lbo, but in this particular case I can’t agree with his concept of Cuba’s contribution to education and especially in medicine to the world.
If Cuban education was that good student such those from Dominica services would be craved international: the doors of Princes Margret Hospital at Goodwill would not serve as a revolving door for dead going in for simple medical issues, and within hours coming out in dead body bags!
In the 1980’s the under Fidel Castro the late, declared they had a cure for Cancer: they claimed that they found the cure by utilizing Shark cart. From 1980 to now how many thousands or more you know died from cancer?
Even the late Tim Hector of Antigua, was cousin, when he was diagnosed with cancer, ran to Cuba for treatment, he died.
I (doh) talking about Roosevelt Rosie Douglas, except to say when all of this internal organs ruptured that unfortunate night, a Cuban Dominican quack trained in Cuba was at his house, if he had performed a simple VT Rosie may be alive.
Roosevelt likes to be constantly in the headline. He suffers from severe low self-esteem problems. So he thinks such pronouncements will beautify his eggshell ego.
His lone call to the U.S. is like a dog barking at a flying plane. Many times most members of the United Nations have called for the lifting of the embargo but those conservatives in the U.S. congress and senate have stubbornly refused to bend.
Roosevelt knows his call is just cheap publicity for himself. If he is serious he would have try to galvanize and mobilise CARICOM, ALBA and other regional organisations to collectively lobby the U.S. to end this decades old controversial punishment.