Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit received the Jose Marti Award from the Government of Cuba has described Cuba as “a light amongst nations, showing what can be accomplished when a people in a just cause do not let a blockade become a barrier to their success, when they remain rooted in their principles and the chief principle is the dignity of the person.”
According to Skerrit, through the example of the Cuban people, the world has seen that size is no bar to excellence or global leadership; that determination is the greatest driver for success; and that the human spirit is indomitable in its quest for dignity and freedom.
“I sense that spirit of Revolution still in this land; A spirit which arises out of your history, your character, and your values. The Revolution is no longer one of the guns but one of the ideas, one which seeks to elevate the dominant principle of our world as the dignity of the human person,” Skerrit said.
“The Cuban Revolution has shown the world that despite the global contention of war and trial, there is a reward in the desire for and pursuit of peace; that on the landscape of underdevelopment and poverty, nation-states can offer citizens equity and inclusion; that against bitter oppression, countries must stand on the side of
social and economic justice.”
According to him, the world has witnessed the failings of “the naked idolization of capital, but Cuba’s voice has been firm and consistent in insisting that first and foremost must be the prioritization of the human person”.
“For the people of Cuba, ideas and principles of peace, dignity, prosperity, freedom, self-determination, justice, equity, and generosity which seeks always to improve the condition of people everywhere, are not abstract constructs. They are at the core of the purpose of your nationhood,” Prime Minister Skerrit remarked.
History, he said, will record that at every stage of the existence of independent Cuba, they have remained true to their principles. “When enlightenment and upliftment were necessary, the education and health care systems of Cuba provided gateways of universal access, that placed the person at the centre of development and demonstrated how a society should care for its citizens,” Skerrit stated.
He further posited, that “it cannot be denied that Cuba is a light amongst nations, showing what can be accomplished when a people in a just cause do not let a blockade become a barrier to their success when they remain rooted in their principles and the chief principle is the dignity of the person.”
“It was Cuba that declared that the Caribbean and Americas should be a “zone of peace.” When Africa needed freedom fighters, Cuba was there as a brother in arms. When COVID-19 struck, Cuban health professionals were deployed to every corner of the globe, bringing comfort and healing to many, without discrimination. In the aftermath of almost every humanitarian crisis or natural disaster on our planet, Cuba is always amongst the first responders, offering tangible support in restoring normalcy,” the Dominican leader said.
“Many nations across the world have been recipients of Cuba’s generosity, friendship, brotherhood, and solidarity. It is for these reasons that Cuba should be celebrated, saluted, and honoured,” he said.
The people of Cuba he stated, by becoming thought leaders and practitioners of the principles of sustainable development; by working in the protection of the planet and the natural and built environments; by promoting peace, equal rights, and opportunity for all peoples; and by your generosity to others in service of the human family; have contributed to the happiness of the rest of the world.
“I look forward to the day when Cuba will no longer be the target of continuing imperialism and will be allowed to fully take its deserved and rightful place among the family of nations,” he said.