The National Assembly of Belize holds a special session in honor of the visit of the Cuban President. Author: @DiazCanelB / Twitter
BELIZE – “This first visit by a Cuban head of state is yet another symbol of the ties between our two countries,” Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno said during a special session of the National Assembly of this Caribbean country in honor of the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and his accompanying delegation.
He underscored the “strong support for Cuba that has been with us,” he stressed, “even before independence” and noted with satisfaction this year the 28th anniversary of the establishment of official relations “which have been marked by significant cooperation between the two peoples and governments.
“The people of Cuba,” the Prime Minister added, “holds a special place in the hearts of the Belizeans because of their incomparable spirit of solidarity, an example of solidarity that he claimed led them to dozens of countries, to save, to give health, among them the peoples Caricom.
Prime Minister Briceño underscored Cuba’s “exceptional efforts over the past 60 years to help the peoples of the third world who have been victims of health emergencies such as the Ebola epidemic in Africa, cholera and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, including Belize.” .
“Thank you Cuba, on behalf of our peoples,” Briseño said, turning to Diaz-Canel to then consider Cuba’s cooperation in other areas such as education, sports and culture.
He added that many Belizeans are now watching this special session of the National Assembly, including many adults who were able to restore their sight through Operation Miracle and young people who went to Cuba for treatment as children.
Cuba, the head of government reminded, gives not what is left, but what little it has, and this is a reflection of the great spirit of his country and its people, the result of the Revolution of its people and its historical leader Fidel Castro Ruz, who built a social a system that can do it all.
In his address to the bicameral plenary session of the National Assembly of Belize, the Prime Minister noted that although Cuba has always shown its friendship and assistance to the peoples of the world, despite more than 60 years of blockade, he has now tightened his severe punishments.
He also rejected the fact that the United States included the Greater Antilles on the list of state sponsors of terrorism and demanded that they be removed from the list because, in his words, “there is no legal or moral basis for including Cuba on this list.” .”
“We thank Cuba,” John Bricegno finally repeated, “for your example of resistance, solidarity and cooperation.”
Caribbean: Unique Peoples
In his address to the National Assembly of Belize, the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, said he was deeply moved by the expression of love received since his arrival.
“It’s not something that surprises us,” he admitted. The Caribbean, which unites us, also distinguishes us as peoples, small in territory and population, but big in spirit and generous in their embrace.”
Expressing the respect and gratitude of the Cuban people to the Belizeans, the head of state recalled the close ties between the two peoples and recalled the stay of our Apostle José Marti here.
He also talked about the visits to Cuba of famous Belizeans, such as three prime ministers, Said Musa, Dean Barrow and John Briceno himself, as well as the father of the Belizean homeland, George Price, about whom he told cute anecdotes from his travels. to Havana to receive the Order of José Marti from Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz.
In a brief description of aspects of bilateral cooperation, Diaz-Canel noted that they confirm “that Belize and Cuba are countries that have excellent relations, in which respect and cooperation prevail.”
This visit,” he added, “further stimulates our commitment and solidarity with this people, who knew how to wisely gain and maintain their independence and find a path for their development. And Cuba, he recalled, “never hesitated to support the requests of the Belizean patriots who worked hard to achieve their independence and considered this battle their own business.”
Diaz-Canel briefed Belize’s bicameral parliament on the results of talks between the official delegations of both countries this Sunday morning, which, he said, “contributed to the search for new opportunities for cooperation in joint projects for the benefit of our cities.” .
And if anything distinguished our bilateral relations, he continued to analyze, it is that they stepped over diplomatic formalities and became bonds of truly fraternal peoples.
The Cuban President acknowledged and thanked, on behalf of his people and government, the selfless assistance received from Belize during the Covid-19 pandemic, during the massive fire at the Matanzas supertanker base, and after the passage of Hurricane Yang.
At the end of his speech, Diaz-Canel affirmed before the Belize Legislative Assembly that this country can “continue to count on Cuba in the face of the enormous challenges that small states with great spirituality, such as ours, will always face.” On their side, as always, they will have us!
The National Assembly of Belize consists of the House of Representatives, consisting of 31 members plus the speaker, and 13 senators plus the president. The special meeting this Sunday in honor of Cuba was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, doctors and other representatives of the Cuban state mission here, as well as other honored guests.
The Honorable Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, leader of the Senate, congratulated herself on the presence of President Díaz-Canel on the first official visit of a Cuban head of state to her country and acknowledged the island’s support in various social areas.
The Honorable Marconi Leal, Second Speaker of the House of Representatives, echoed the sentiment and conveyed greetings from the Honorable Valerie Woods, spokeswoman for the body, who is out of Belize for family reasons.
Source: Juventud Rebelde