Cuban legislative leader says Fidel coming soon

Arriving on the same plane as the Vincentian Prime Minister–they both came on a charter from Havana–was Ricardo Alarcon, the President of the Cuban National Assembly. Alarcon, one of the most powerful men in Cuba, is no stranger to our shores. He represented his country here two decades ago and was an eyewitness to the birth of an independent Belize. With ties between the two countries close and growing even closer, Alarcon explained why the relationship has strengthened.

Ricardo Alarcon, President, Cuban Nat’l Assembly

“First of all we’re very, very close neighbours, we are very close geographically. We worked together for a number of years in the 60s and 70s and the process leading towards the final acceptance of Belize to independence. And that’s why we saw each other here twenty years ago. And since that moment, we have been trying to develop our relations in every area that is possible. Cuba is a Caribbean nation, like Belize is a Caribbean nation. We are perhaps the closes Caribbean nation. Why? Because we are Caribbean, but also have a Latin connection, a Hispanic/American connection. We both came from a mixture of a diversity of roots and our culture, our histories have that richness. We’re very small, two small countries.”

Stewart Krohn

“We don’t think of Cuba as a small country.”

Ricardo Alarcon

“Well proportionally we may appear, but we are very small country.”

Stewart Krohn

“We have close relations, our Prime Minister has visited Cuba. When are we going to se a visit from Fidel?”

Ricardo Alarcon

“I will say the we will have the opportunity in the not too distant future. Let’s say it is soon.”

There have been rumours of a visit by the Cuban leader in the past, notably about a year ago. Those plans were allegedly set aside in the wake of Hurricane Keith.