By Pat Chin
NEW YORK — Recent US threats to sabotage the economies of the English-speaking Caribbean are being pelted with criticism by prominent members of the Caribbean community, US House of Representatives member Charles Rangel and others.
The threats against CARICOM — the unified trade bloc of the former British colonies representing some 5.5 million people — are a product of both the North American Free Trade Agreement and US anti-Cuba moves.
In particular, anger is growing over a letter written to CARICOM leaders from US Representatives Robert Torricelli, Ileana RosLehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Robert Menendez.
Torricelli is chairperson of the House Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs. He is also the author of the notoriously-misnamed "Cuba Democracy Act", which is meant to further strangle the Cuban revolution.
According to the August 17 Carib News, "CARICOM earned the wrath of the conservative congresspersons after the region's leaders had rejected US attempts to link improved human rights in Cuba to any plan for economic cooperation between the region and Havana."
CARICOM recently ended its summit in Nassau where, despite US pressure, the decision was made to set up a joint CARICOM-Cuba Commission. The commission will explore areas of technical cooperation in tourism, agriculture, biotechnology and livestock breeding.
Washington had not only failed miserably to isolate Cuba at the CARICOM meeting, but was rebuked afterwards by St. Lucian Prime Minister John Compton and former Bahamian prime minister Sir Lynden Pindling.
Reflecting the general mood of the trade bloc, Compton and Pindling defended the decision to increase trade links with Cuba "regardless of Cuba's form of government."
The US Congress is now considering legislation that would allegedly give the Caribbean region more trade benefits and protection under NAFTA. With this in mind, Torricelli and his congressional allies penned their futile missive: "It is simply not possible for us to support the extension of trade benefits to the Caribbean region if we believe the ultimate beneficiary will be the Cuban dictatorship. We strongly urge you to reconsider and rescind this unfortunate action."
An editorial in the August 17 Carib News blasted the contradictory and arrogant nature of the maneuvre by stating, "At a time when Torricelli and the others are shouting for freedom for the Cubans and are arguing for the rights of the people in Havana and elsewhere in that country to be able to act in their own interest, rights to CARICOM governments."
Rep. Charles Rangel, who represents the predominantly black New York City area of Harlem, countered the anti-Cuba move in a letter to the White House.
It read in part: "The recent decision by the member countries of the Caribbean community to pursue a policy of economic cooperation with Cuba is another step toward its full integration in Hemispheric economic and political affairs."
Rangel's support came three days after Torricelli and the other legislators sent what has been widely interpreted in the Caribbean, New York and Washington as a rude and arrogant letter.
"Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and has an important role to play", asserted Jamaican Basil Wilson, Provost at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "It's time to move towards greater integration."
Even former Grenadian ambassador to the UN, Dr Lemuel Stanislaus, who supported the US invasion of his country, was critical, saying he believes that Cuba and other Caribbean countries need each other.
The economic integration of Cuba is considered by CARICOM leaders and others to be essential to the survival of the Caribbean and Latin America.
[From Workers World, via Pegasus.]