An embassy or consulate represents de-facto a country's sovereignty in a foreign country. The benefit is immense, considering the current global trend of economic and political inter-relatedness among different countries. The Bahamas must consider the great benefit in having permanent representation in Havana to ensure that The Bahamas interest is protected and enhanced in Cuba.

The Bahamas' decision to establish a permanent consulate in the Republic of Cuba should transcend political expediency and rhetoric. The government must look at the future prospect of having a permanent representative. This will provide Cuba and The Bahamas' business communities the opportunity to expand commercial activity in Cuba. In addition, a resident representative will have better opportunity to understand the cultural and political relations and affinity between our country and Cuba, in order to cement our relationship.

Cuba is among the highest populated countries within this hemisphere with budding and untapped economic opportunities which both Havana and The Bahamas will stand to gain tremendously so long as both countries take the right step in building enduring national ties to strengthen an existing political, economic and social relationship.

Cuba has already gone far ahead in establishing a permanent or resident Ambassador in The Bahamas. The Bahamas government must reciprocate the gesture by immediately setting up the motion towards appointing a resident Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba. The Cuban government, by establishing a resident Consul in the Bahamas, demonstrates that they understand the need for international cooperation and the development of both intergovernmental and non-governmental agencies.

We, in the Caribbean community, must not allow dogmatism and the new emergence of neo-imperialistic propaganda and the global, political double standard against Cuba to prevail. Cuba has been a victim of terrorist attacks and the unjust embargo. In fact, the U.S. embargo has cost Cuba more than $70 billion US.

Over many years, Cuba was attacked by terrorists who killed 3,478 Cuban citizens, as well as an Italian tourist. Also, 2,099 Cubans became disabled because of these terrorist attacks. These figures combined are a tragedy equal to that of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. The Osama bin Laden of Cuba is Luis Posada Carriles, who is in jail in Panama for the attempted murder of President Fidel Castro and Cuba cannot have access to him. It is totally unfair. Ironically, some of these terrorists are at large in the United States and North and Central American countries and nothing can happen to them. It is scary! One has to argue whether the global war against terrorism only applies to a few nations. Why isn't the United Nations assisting Cuba in capturing the terrorists that attacked that nation?

It seems that there is a consequence of killing Americans but not killing nationals of smaller nations. This is selective justice and the United Nations has never passed resolutions condemning the act of terrorists against Cuban citizens. What a world we live in!

Understanding the dynamism of the world today, the influence of the media, the United States overwhelming global power and their selective dislike of nations that don't share their political ideology, The Bahamas and the greater Caribbean must be very careful and not influenced by the United States' hate towards Cuba, as well as when making decisions in respect to regional relationships. Cuba has always been a victim of economic isolation that has political undercurrents.

No nation, regardless of their political ideology, should be isolated as Cuba was isolated and treated. Every nation, including the United States, has a right to its national sovereignty and the adoption of its unique political ideology.

The United States has relationships with other communist and socialist states because of their strategic and economic importance to the United States. Cuba is equally of strategic importance to the United States.

It is time that Caricom lobbies for Cuba and the United States to sit at the table for cooperation and the elimination of the embargo. The Bahamas can play a pivotal role in this. This form of antagonistic aggression against Cuba does not serve the Caribbean's interest.

For the Bahamas government to have an embassy in Cuba would mean that we would have first hand information about the social economic climate. We, in the greater Caribbean, must recognize the success story that Cuba has represented to the world. In fact, there are more than 700,000 university graduates in Cuba. The internal, political and legal affairs of Cuba are its own personal business.

The Bahamas government must not get caught up in the web of an imperialistic agenda against Cuba. One would say that Bahamians survived because of our own sense of ingeniousness. Let us embrace our Cuban brothers.

Dr. Kevin Alcena

POSTED FRIDAY APRIL 25, 2003