NATIONAL6 GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

• CUBA aspires to create joint as-sociations with Caribbean countries,with a view to stimulating joint dev-elopment by exploiting common fac-tors, while respecting each nation’sculture and history, Cuban officialsstated during a press conferenceheld in the context of the High-LevelSegment of the Association of Car-ibbean States ACS-AEC, takingplace March 9, in the Cuban capi-tal.

Through this event, we are show-ing the world that we are an ex-tremely important area, stated JoséChaple Hernández, director of TradePolicy for Latin America and theCaribbean at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment(Mincex).

Chaple noted that the ACS-AEC isan important mechanism for mem-ber states and a vital point of con-tact for the Caribbean region.

According to the Cuban official, theConstitutive Agreement of the org-anization, created in 1994, seeks topromote dialogue, cooperation andjoint action between Caribbean cou-ntries.

In this sense he highlighted theFirst ACS-AEC Cooperation Con-ference which took place March 8,during which projects on climatechange and inter-Caribbean trans-portation were presented.

Regarding trade, he noted thatCuba is the main commercial part-ner of ACS-AEC countries within the Latin American region, while the Caribbean makes up 20% of the island’s foreign trade partner-ships.

Chaple went on to note that Ven-ezuela and Mexico feature amongCuba’s top 10 trading par tners,while trade with Trinidad and Tob-ago’s increased during 2016.

The Cuban official noted that such exchanges were made pos-sible thanks to cooperation agre-ements with various countries of theregion.

“Regarding construction, the mostrecent example of collaboration was the inauguration of the ArgyleInternational Airport, in Saint Vin-cent and the Grenadines, which was attended by Salvador ValdésMesa, a Council of State vicepresident,” stated Chaple. Heexplained that Cuba maintains his-toric cooperation ties with Haiti,where 700 of the island’s health pro-fessionals are currently offeringtheir services, while also noting that initial steps have already beentaken to continue such efforts withthe country’s new government, ledby Jovenel Moise.

“IT’S NOT ABOUT COMPETING,IT’S ABOUT SHARING”

“We are all in the same geographicarea, a space of great economicimportance, linking north to south,

through which both goods and peo-ple travel. This is a strategic region,”stated Déborah Rivas Saavedra,Mincex director general of foreigninvestment.

The Cuban official stressed thatthe regional economy should not be viewed from the perspective ofcompetition, but cooperation. “It’sabout making the most of commonassets and creating economic allia-nces,” she stated. We treat tourism,a strategic sector in the region, assomething shared, not a competi-tion, noted Rivas Saavedra, addingthat Cuba received over four millionvisitors last year.

Regarding joint growth, the Cubanofficial explained that, “With specialdevelopment zones in the region,the 22 member states and partners,believe that we should take a leapforward together.

“Cuba in par ticular,” she noted

“has developed a regulatory frame-work which enables our Caribbeanpartners to seek out agreementswhich generate mutual benefits.”

We have signed agreements withvarious regional countries and in-vestors are able to enjoy the taxincentives offered by our island, shestated.

Rivas also reaffirmed Cuba’sinterest in expanding cooperationwith the Caribbean community andcalled to establish strategic allia-nces within the ACS-AEC.

She went on to note that thecountry has clearly defined med-ium and long term developmentgoals, which include foreign invest-ment in well-defined areas.

Rivas recalled that Cuba contin-ues to be the victim of an economic,commercial and financial blockadeimposed by the United States, theextraterritorial nature of which

negatively affects the island’s rel-ations with foreign partners.

These are the objective conditionswhich impact on and prevent theisland from attracting more foreigninvestment, she noted.

She went on to explain that in-ternal problems exist, such as theneed to further train Cuban bus-inesspeople, but stated that “ourproblems cannot be solved with the strike of a pen, with the signingof a foreign investment law. We must create and enhance the cap-abilities of our entrepreneurs.”

THE ZEDM: A VEHICLE FORPROMOTING COOPERATION

These encounters held within the framework of the ACS-AEC areof vital importance to regional int-egration as they facilitate excha-nges and dialogue, stated Oscar

Unleashing the Caribbean’s potential

COLOR DE LA 4 INGLES

Cuban officials offered a press conference regarding the High-Level Segment of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC)

From left to right, Oscar Pérez, the ZEDM’s Business Assessment director; Déborah Rivas Saavedra, Mincex director general of ForeignInvestment; José Chaple Hernández, Mincex director of Trade Policy for Latin America and the Caribbean at; and Arleen Rodríguez, helda press conference on March 9.

YAIMÍ RAVELO

SPECIAL8 GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

Juan Diego Nusa PeñalverPhotos: Ismael Batista Ramírez

• FRANCISCO "Pancho" LazoDíaz is a weathered farmer, withlively eyes and rough hands, nottall, but very talkative, who hasbeen married 40 years to SabinaPérez Montano, a love that pro-duced two children Yoandry andYanet.

But this tough man living in themunicipality of San Juan y Mar-tínez, located some 25 kilo-meters west of the city of Pinardel Río - 180 kilometers west ofHavana - unabashedly professesanother great love, rooted deepin his heart: tobacco farming.

Pancho Lazo, as everyone inQuemado de Rubí calls him, isrecognized as one of the bestshade grown tobacco farmers inthe province. His plantationsreflect this region's ancient tra-dition of sowing and cultivatingthe aromatic leaf, going backeven before the Spanish con-quest, in the Vueltabajo areawhich contributes the greatestportion of tobacco used in Cuba'scelebrated hand-rolled cigars.

The national and internationalpress covering the 19th HabanoFestival (February 27-March 3),the largest international eventfocused on premium cigars,sought out Pancho Lazo to learnabout the origins of tobaccofarming, and see firsthand howthe leaf becomes a cigar, a tan-gible symbol of Cuban culturesince the time of the island's ori-ginal Taino people.

We were able to appreciate hisvigorous plantations shadedwith fine cloth, which, he ex-plains, "produce a more delicateand larger sized leaf, just right toserve as the capa, the outerwrapper of brand name cigars."

His farm is affiliated with thecredit and services cooperativebearing the name "5th Congressof the Communist Party of Cuba,"and includes more than 50,000tobacco plants growing across1.5 hectares. At this time, Pan-cho Lazo is immersed in thesecond harvest of the year, withannual production of 225 tons.

In this past 2015-2016 season,hard hit by inclement weather,heavy rain in particular, PanchoLazo was obliged to call upon allhis knowledge and perseveranceto meet, and surpass, his con-tractual obligations of shade-grown tobacco, saying, "This is atime when a man cannot stepback, he must impose himself,leave the sweat of his brow inthe field. He must have a lot oflove for what he does."

Such an outlook has made thisguajiro one of the industry'sleaders, an example and some-one other growers consult reg-ularly, above all the youngest.He has no qualms about sharinghis experience, expecting nothingin return.

Of the 1,925 tobacco growersin San Juan y Martínez, only267 work with shade-grownvarieties of wrapper leaves forexported cigars. Renowned within this smaller group isPancho Lazo, who has devoted

22 years of his life to tobaccoand its mysteries.

He explains that not all growerstake on the task of plantingshade-grown leaves which sell for higher prices but presentgreater challenges, as comparedto varieties grown unprotected,under the sun, used for theinterior wrapping, or binder, andthe filler of a cigar.

"Tobacco takes a great deal ofcare, from the very beginning ofthe planting, but the cultivationof shade-grown tobacco is muchmore difficult to carry out, it'slike the bride's gown…

"I'm never far from the plant, Italk to her, touch her; before I goto bed, I check on her and touchher again. You have to be in lovewith this plant to be able to getthe desired results."

Journalists had many quest-ions about the strategies heuses to achieve such laudableresults, but the answer wasshort and precise, "Give theplant what it needs, at the righttime, not before or later."

To our astonishment, heoffered a master class aboutplanting shade-grown tobaccoas if he were conversing withone of the workers he employson his farm, "The seedling isplanted, and seven days later, itis watered, so the little plantlives, then we hoe around them,in what is known as tape depalito, and fertilizer is applied tothe roots.

"Between the 18th and 20thday, a second hilling is done tosupport them and allow forwatering (mounding soil aroundthe stalks, leaving a row ofseedlings in a bed alongsidefurrows for irrigation). The clothis placed on the seventh day, butnot too high, because, if you do,the leaves won't come out fine…what makes the tobacco leavesfine is the cloth.

"Once the cloth is in place, allthe cultivation work is done, thestaking of the plants to prevent asudden gust of wind or heavyrain from destroying them. At 35days, the stem tip is removed,what we call the button, so theplant starts to develop leaves,and doesn't continue growingtaller.

"After 45 days, the orderedharvesting of leaves begins, sothe curing of the plant is even.The leaves are removed two bytwo, more is not permitted. Itisn't a continual picking process;the plant must be allowed a recuperation period of three orfour days, and then we do an-other picking.

"If it rains, you have to wait forthe plant to reestablish itself,since as the rain washes theleaf, it is weakened. The harvestmust start after the 45th day andnot go beyond the 80th, andaccording to the good eye of apicker."

The expressions of admirationwere unanimous.

"I have never consideredleaving the tobacco fields. It'shere inside of me," he said,pointing to his chest, "Inside ofme."

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Pancho Lazo inherited his lovefor tobacco and its traditionsfrom his father Pascual, fromwhom he learned the secrets ofthe soil, "I've had this taste forgrowing tobacco since I was aboy, and I have passed it on tomy children and grandchildren.We are in tobacco because welove tobacco, and I devote all myenergy to it," he said, empha-sizing that this is undoubtedly afamily affair.

"I have my relief, I've trainedmy wife and children, a boy anda girl; they know what tobaccois, they work with me. My son-in-law has been working with mefor 14 years. He came from thecentral provinces. Everyonearound me is capable of follow-ing the family tradition, even mytwo grandchildren, five and 13years old, are already on theroad to loving this plant.

"The tobacco harvest begins in November and ends aroundFebruary or March; the rest ofthe year we plant other crops,"he adds.

***

Pancho Lazo explains thatraising good tobacco involvesmany steps, much time andeffort. He even grows his ownseedlings, which requires 30-40days. In August and Septemberhe prepares the cloth to providethe shade needed to obtainquality wrapper leaves.

No less important to him iscaring for the soil, one of thetreasures of this region, alongwith its traditions and the grow-ers who have made San Juan yMartínez Cuba's tobacco mecca.

"We have to take care of theland, we cannot abuse it, wehave to fertilize with a lot oforganic material and animalmanure. I plant lots of greensand corn to incorporate nitrogeninto the soil naturally, and re-duce the use of chemical fertil-izers this way.

"Things don't always work out.Last year, the rain affected us abit, but we held on, took on thechallenge, and didn't let theseobstacles defeat us.

"This year the weather is betterand I think we'll have an ex-cellent harvest, with good yields."

Experts agreed with the ex-perienced campesino. The yearbegan with great weather fortobacco, which augurs well for abountiful harvest and high yields- good news for the nationaleconomy and lovers of Cubancigars around the world.

Agronomist Juan Miguel Hern-ández Martínez, adjunct directorof the Hermanos Saiz tobaccocompany agreed, telling GranmaInternational that the munici-pality of San Juan y Martínezcommitted to a plan for the 2016-2017 season based on planting4,335 hectares, and that, by theend of January, some 4,400were under cultivation. The ad-ditional area planted reflects theenthusiasm of growers, giventhe favorable weather conditions,

which have not been seen forfive or six years, Hernándezsaid, recalling that 25% of alltobacco grown in the country isproduced in San Juan y Mar-tínez, and that these growerswere determined to "pull athorn" from their hearts, afterthe heavy rain and poor harvestof last year.

***

Francisco "Pancho" Lazo'sface lights up when he says thathe will leave his bones among

the rows of tobacco, insisting,"As long as I have the strength,I'll be in the field alongside thetobacco."

This love for Cuba's emble-matic crop makes him a con-tinuator of a long tradition inVueltabajo, home of anotherlegendary tobacco man Ale-jandro Robaina (1919-2010),who produced wrapper leavesas well, and was recognized asCuba's greatest during hislifetime with the honor of havinga brand of cigars named afterhim: Vegas Robaina. •

‘PAGINA 8 DE INGLES COLOR

The other love of Pancho Lazo

Pancho Lazo, who has devoted 20 years of his life to growing tobacco, proudlydisplays his fine leaves, ready to be harvested from the plants that are tallerthan he is.

One of the first steps in curing tobacco leaves is stringing them two by two withlarge needles, and then placing them on wooden rods 4 or 5 meters long, calledcujes. These are hung on wooden stands called barrederas. Some 100 cujescan be strung during a good workday.

In Pancho's curing house nothing is left to chance. Workers pay close attentionto the humidity and temperature, opening and closing the doors as needed.

More than 1.2 million eurosraised for Cuba's public healthsystem

SPECIAL 9GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

Juan Diego Nusa Peñalver

• THE 19th Habano Festival (February 27 - March 3), thelargest gathering of its kind, concluded brilliantly inHavana with the raising of 1,255,000 euros for Cuba'spublic health system, thanks to the successful auction ofseven beautiful humidors containing a selection of thecountry's most renowned cigars, enjoyed around theworld.

Beyond the precious hardwoods adorning the unique,hand-crafted humidors, most valuable was the exquisitetreasure inside: vitolas from each one of the country'semblematic brands (H.Upmann, Hoyo de Monterrey,Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Montecristo, Cohiba), as wellas one exclusively by the Bolivar house, which is cele-brating its 115 anniversary this year, and opened thebidding.

All of the cigars included in the auction were rolled bythe best artisans in the home factories of each brand,under the supervision of experienced quality specialistsfrom the Habanos S.A. company.

"I think the money will go to a good cause, so we'rehappy to spend it," Canadian Leander D'Silva told AFP,after acquiring the Cohiba humidor with 20 drawers and580 cigars, for 380,000 euros.

AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING

The closing gala held at the Pabexpo fairgrounds, in the

Havana neighborhood of Miramar, provided more than2,000 international guests from 50 countries the op-portunity to participate in the launching of Montecristo'smost exclusive, premium cigar, the 1935 line, with itsMaltés vitolas (53 x 153 mm), Dumas (49 x 130 mm) andLeyenda (55 x 165 mm). The first two are unprecedentedin the Habanos S.A. portfolio, while the third takes theplace and format of the special, limited edition "Monte-cristo 80 Aniversario" launched in 2015 to commemoratethe brand's 80th anniversary.

Cigars from this brand are differentiated, and one withstrong flavor has been included for the first time, rolledwith an exquisite selection of wrapper, binder, and fillerleaves from the best plantations in Vueltabajo, located inthe western province of Pinar del Río, where the world'sbest tobacco is grown.

Also announced during the evening gala were winnersof the 2016 Habano Prize which recognizes individualswho have played an outstanding role promoting Cubancigars around the world. The deserving winners this yearincluded Cuba's Josefa Acosta Ramos (in the category ofProduction), Edward Sahakian from Britain (Business),and from the United States, Gordon Mott (Communication).

The winner of this year's Habanosommelier inter-national competition, in the pairing of cigars with spirits,was Chilean Felipe Rojas, in a tight race with colleaguesfrom Cuba, United Arab Emirates, the UK, and Italy.

Likewise awarded were prizes for participation in theCommercial Fair, which included 65 exhibitors from 11

countries. Recognized as Best Designed Stand wasBrascuba S.A., while the prize for Best Designed ModularStand went to BONGHAB-ITALIA which crafts guaya-beras to represent the luxury brand Cohiba Atmosphere.The corporate group Cimex-Cuba was recognized as themost visited stand, while Havana Club International wonthe fair's coveted Integrated Communication Prize.

The glamorous evening gala's most spectacular mo-ments were provided by violinist Ara Malikian of Spanish,Armenian, and Lebanese heritage with his ensemble,along with Cuban stars like Haila María Mompié, VaniaBorges, and David Torrens, plus the quartet A otro tiempoand Miguel Patterson's band, accompanied by choreo-graphies from the Lizt Alfonso and Santiago Alfonsodance companies. •

More than 1.2 million eurosraised for Cuba's public healthsystem

19TH HABANO FESTIVAL

The 19th Habano Festival concluded with a glamorous evening gala featuring music by violinist Ara Malikian and his ensemble.

ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI/ REUTERS

PAG 9 COLOR INGLES

SPORTS12 GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

pag 12 ingles color

Jorge Carlos de la Paz

• GLADIATOR Yowlys Bonne (61 kilograms)from Guantánamo, bronze medalist in the 2014 World Wrestling Championships, knowsfull well his role within the national freestylewrestling team.

Along with Havana’s Rieneris Salas (97kg)and Alejandro Valdés (65kg), Bonne figures asone of the experienced fighters, in charge ofguiding the younger generation of wrestlerscurrently forming the national team andtraining for the new Olympic cycle of Tokyo2020.

After being absent from the most recentnational championship, due to a cruciate liga-ment injury, Yowlys made his comeback be-fore Cuban fans during the 50th edition of theGranma-Cerro Pelado International WrestlingTournament, where he revalidated his positionas number one on the island, defeating thepromising Dabian Quintana, from Camagüey,brother of Athens 2004 Olympic gold medalistYandro Quintana, in the 61kg final.

Granma International couldn't miss theopportunity to talk with this fighter, who for thesecond consecutive season is performing inthe German wrestling league, better known asthe Bundesliga.

“This is my second year in Germany with theASV Nendingen club, unfortunately I had themisfortune to injure my knee during my firstfight against Romanian George Bucur, fromASV Mainz 88, on October 29, 2016,” theCuban wrestler noted.

Bonne couldn’t return to competition until lastDecember 10, when he convincingly defeated

Bulgarian Vladimir Dubov, from the KSV Köl-lerbach team, 1-0.

“I could only wrestle four fights, I won threeand I lost the one in which I injured myself. Thattournament is a true school; you are nourishedby many experiences, as you collide with op-ponents with very different characteristics. Inaddition, you enrich your technical arsenal andlearn how to handle each fight,” he explained.

What are the differences between theBundesliga and other international com-petitions in which you have participated?

In the German league, you have thepossibility of constantly competing againsthigh-level rivals, not just Germans, as athletesfrom several countries participate. The dif-ferences between this tournament and a majorchampionship such as a Grand Prix or a World

Cup are in the training you must undergo,according to the characteristics of each event.For example, in the Bundesliga you have aweekly fight, while in other international com-petitions you undertake all the fights on thesame day. The preparation is different and the technical-tactical thinking is different. It’snot the same to prepare - mentally andphysically - for a daily fight, than for four or fivein a day.

In Germany there is the peculiarity thattraining takes place at night...

There is a different training system, the food is different, we really have all the neces-sary conditions created. In that country, a largenumber of the German wrestlers are not onlydedicated to the sport, but also work. That iswhy the training takes place after workinghours. That allowed the foreign athletes to usethe morning to train among ourselves.

When are you planning to return toGermany?

In September I need to be there again, I planto sign a new contract.

Mijaín López, three-time Olympic cham-pion, also featured alongside you in theteam however, the club decided to let himgo...

Until the season that just ended, only oneforeign fighter could compete in each dailyprogram, so either he fought, or I did, butluckily this year the rules will change. In theinterests of the team, they needed me to com-pete more. When I was injured, we thought itwas going to be a fairly minor setback andthat’s why I was always announced for everymatch. In the end I couldn’t compete and there-fore neither of us fought. •

RICARDO LÓPEZ HEVIA

Yowlys Bonne: Still wrestling among the elite

Yowlys Bonne is one of the leading figures in the Cuban national freestyle wrestling team.

NATIONALMARCH.17.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL 13

Katheryn Felipe

• WHEN in April of 2011, the 6th Congress ofthe Communist Party of Cuba approved theEconomic and Social Policy Guidelines ofthe Party and the Revolution, the countrybegan a definitive process of updating itseconomic model, which, as was recognizedat the time, would lead to significant changesover the following five years.

To conduct a review before getting to theheart of the matter, let us recall that theGuidelines established that the economicsystem would continue to be based on theentire people's socialist ownership of thefundamental means of production, governedby the principle (also socialist) thatdistribution would be based on "from eachaccording to their capacity, to each accordingto their work." Of course, the possibility ofobstacles and contradictions in the Guide-lines' implementation was acknowledged.

Understanding that only socialism iscapable of overcoming difficulties and pre-serving the revolutionary ideals of equalityand justice, the national economy wouldcontinue to be based on planning, while atthe same time attention would be paid tomarket forces, and more autonomy affordedto state enterprises and new private forms ofeconomic management.

In the words of the Minister of Economyduring the period 1995-2009, José LuisRodríguez, the Guidelines would maintainsocial ownership of the means of productionthat were decisive to the nation's develop-ment; establish limits on non-state property,preventing the accumulation of capital; andassure the provision of basic social servicesfor all, free of charge.

In addition to maintaining the central role ofstate enterprises, he said - as we have seen- the updating would recognize and promoteeconomic activity by foreign investors, coop-eratives, small farmers, those working landgranted in usufruct, renters of state property,and the self-employed, among others.

According to Rodríguez, now an advisor atthe Center for Global Economic Research,opening spaces for small private businessesof the self-employed; agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives; and joint ventureswith foreign capital is a way to give sucheconomic forces participation in the country'sdevelopment "without being predominant, ifthey are channeled appropriately, and do not become overpowering."

From the point of view of psychologistMaría del Carmen Zabala, specialist in theissue of social equality, and advisor to theLatin American Faculty of Social Sciences'Cuba Program, the Guidelines reflect a com-mitment to equity and suppose the imple-mentation of measures which lead to moreoptions for employment and income, to thebenefit of Cuban families.

Thus, the strategic document outlining theGuidelines states, "In the forms of non-statemanagement, the concentration of propertyby individuals or legal entities is not to bepermitted," adding that the tax system wouldestablish higher rates for those with the high-est incomes, in an effort to "mitigate inequal-ities bewteen citizens."

Just as Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruzmade clear during the 7th Congress of theCommunist Party of Cuba, held in April of2016, in Havana, "The neoliberal formulasthat advocate rapid privatization of state property and social services, such as health,education, and social security, will never beapplied in Cuban socialism."

Raúl, also first secretary of the PartyCentral Committee, said, "A revolution of thehumble, by the humble, and for the humble,"as Fidel defined it, with an undeniable socialproject already constructed, "will never seeksolutions to its problems on the backs of thepeople, or with the restoration of capitalism,which would lead to the application of shock

therapies on layers of the population withfewer resources, and destroy the unity andconfidence in the Revolution and the Party of the majority of our citizens."

In Cuba, he has reiterated many times, "Noone will be left unprotected."

MEDIUM, SMALL, & MICRO BUSINESS

After five years of taking steps to update theeconomy, the non-state sector has grownexponentially. While employment in the statesector constituted 81.2% of the total in 2010,it stood at 70.8% in 2015. Likewise, therewere 157,371 registered self-employed inSeptember of 2010, and more than 500,000at the close of 2016.

Although, as the Cuban President noted,"The increase in self-employment and theauthorization to hire a work force has led, inpractice, to the existence of private mediumsized, small, and micro-enterprises, whichfunction today without the appropriate legalstanding, and are governed by law within aregulatory framework designed for indivi-duals working in small businesses under-taken by the worker and family members,"developing is an atmosphere which does notdiscriminate against or stigmatize non-statework.

At the same time, in socialist and sovereignCuba, the people's ownership of the principalmeans of production constitutes the found-ation of workers' real power, as Raúl hasexplained, and supports the success of non-state forms of economic management, onthe basis of strict compliance with relevantlegislation and within well defined limits.

Regarding this issue, the Cuban Presidentstated, "We are not naïve, or unaware of theaspirations of powerful external forces whichare betting on what they call 'empowerment'of non-state forms of management, with thegoal of generating agents of change, inhopes of putting an end to the Revolution andsocialism in Cuba through other means."

Raúl has emphasized, "Cooperatives, theself-employed, and private medium, smalland micro-enterprises are not in their natureanti-socialist or counterrevolutionary," notingthat the vast majority working in this way are patriots.

With economic development, the strugglefor peace, and ideological firmness as theParty's focus, the experimental process ofdeveloping productive non-agricultural co-operatives continues, especially in com-merce, food and technical services, smallindustry, and construction.

Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruzhimself insisted, "If one works with fervor a nd dignity, the material and cultural goodshuman beings need can be produced." Thisis precisely what the country is seeking,without allowing economic decisions to affectthe people's unity.

AN ORDERLY, GRADUAL PROCESS

Also worthwhile is a look at the ground

rules established for the orderly, gradualprocess of separating state and enterpriseroles, which have often overlapped. This effort has faced obstacles since the changerequires an end to obsolete mentalities.

Raúl has emphasized that needed aremore explications to the people, more dis-cipline and rigor, and greater follow-up on the change process, saying, "We must haveour ears, and our feet, firmly on the ground."

Measures adopted to facilitate freeing thestate from all responsibility for economic administration include affording state enter-prises more authority, reorganizing the work-force and salaries to eliminate inflated rostersacross all sectors, and assuring that work isthe principal way the population earns in-come.

On another front, progress has been madein the development, without subsidies, ofwholesale priced supply markets, and equip-ment rental services to serve state enter-

prises, budgeted entities, and non-statebusinesses.

The Guidelines additionally propose mak-ing the social objectives of state enterprisesmore flexible, so they can take maximumadvantage of their potential, as well asexpanding their authority to manage workingcapital and investments to a certain degree.

Another evolution has been in what isknown as "pay per performance," whichmeans that wages for workers in state andnon-state enterprises are increasingly linkedto results obtained.

The conceptualization of Cuba's economicmodel approved at the 7th Party Congress in 2016, states that the consolidation andsustainable development of socialism is onlypossible on the basis of preserving valuesand increasing the productivity of labor, toprovide for greater wealth and its justdistribution, a better standard and quality oflife, as well as the realization of legitimateindividual and collective aspirations.

At the same time, the National Economicand Social Plan through 2030 defines thestrategic axes and driving forces in thedevelopment of Cuba: an effective socialistgovernment; social integration; productivechange and international involvement; thedevelopment of infrastructure; human po-tential; science, technology, and innovation;protection of natural resources and theenvironment; equity and justice.

Let us not forget that all of these changesare taking place within a reality marked bylittle population growth, with low birth ratesand longer life expectancy, a negativemigratory balance, increasing urbanizationand aging of the population, which implygreat social and economic challenges for the country - issues to be addressed in futureeditions of Granma International. •

A look at mini-enterprises in Cuba…

La Arboleda café in the Havana neighborhood of Alamar is a private business. An atmosphere isdeveloping across the country which does not discriminate against or stigmatize non-state work.

JOSÉ MANUEL CORREA ARMAS

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COLOR DE LA 16 INGLES

Nuria Barbosa LeónPhotos: Karoly Emerson

• GRATITUDE to Cuba for its efforts insupporting the Colombian peace talks wasexpressed by a delegation from the SouthAmerican nation visiting the island, duringa meeting held at the Cuban Institute ofFriendship with Peoples (ICAP) in Havana.

They also expressed their sadness onlearning of the death of Comandante enJefe Fidel Castro Ruz, November 25,2016, and recalled the 90th anniversary of the birth of Colombian writer GabrielGarcía Márquez, an eternal friend of theCuban people and their historic leader.

Gilma Gómez Oliveros, coordinator ofthe delegation, noted that they have tra-veled to the island as activists, repre-sentatives of solidarity groups, and espe-cially members of the Corporación JoséMartí Pérez.

In addition they brought a message fromColombian Senator Iván Cepeda Castro,of the Alternative Democratic Pole party,and from the House of RepresentativesDeputy of the same political organization,Alirio Uribe Muñoz, who emphasized thecontribution of the Cuban Revolution toachieving peace and social justice in theworld.

Gómez Oliveros noted: “We are happy to be in Cuba, happy to come with peoplewho are visiting the Caribbean island forthe first time. We want them to come toknow this society and be bearers of theteachings that its people offer. We un-dertake solidarity not only for Cuba, but forour own country, so that every day weknow that other worlds are possible.”

She added that the delegation is com-posed of people from different professionsand the program of activities began with avisit to the San Antonio de los Baños Inter-national School of Film and Television, inthe province Artemisa, to learn about thelegacy of Gabriel García Márquez on theisland.

Gómez Oliveros also indicated that thegroup will visit Santa Efigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba, to pay tribute to JoséMartí and Fidel Castro, as inspiringleaders of Latin American and Caribbeanindependence struggles.

During their tour of the island, they willspeak to the Cuban people, intellectuals,and leaders of political and mass organ-izations of the country, as their greatest

interest is to be nourished with knowledgeand energy to contribute to the building ofa lasting peace in Colombia.

“We are very grateful to Fidel,” notedGómez Oliveros, “for the opportunity tobring hope to many peoples of the world.We are inspired by his example and de-fend the Cuban social process, because itoffers encouragement for our countries.We know that despite difficulties, when

there is unity of political forces, when thereare dreams, political training, the peoplecan achieve their self-determination andfreedom.”

Another member of the delegation, mec-hanical engineer Daniel Orjuela Delgado,reported that from a very young age he has been involved with organizationsworking in solidarity with Cuba, due to theexample that the island offers in resisting

imperialism and global capitalism.He hopes that his fellow delegation mem-

bers learn from the Cuban reality, becausethe bourgeois media of his country onlydistorts the truth and works to shape pub-lic opinion that a non-capitalist society isimpossible.

Orjuela Delgado noted: “We are awarethat Cubans live with dignity. Here they are guaranteed free and quality education,medical coverage for one hundred percentof the population, there is mass access to culture and sports. This is the examplewe have witnessed since the triumph ofthe Revolution and that is what we trans-mit to the Colombian people.”

Meanwhile, teacher Melba Rincón Suá-rez explained that she has participated inseveral Pedagogy conferences on theisland, held every two years, during whichthe achievements in this sector are dem-onstrated, and noted that she admires how teaching processes are conducted in Cuba.

She added: “I hope to continue theteachings received on this island and tothe same extent devote our efforts to the Cuban people, who teach us how todirect emancipatory causes. We are com-mitted to working to build peace in ourcountry.”

Lawyer Luz Nancy García offered asimilar view, stressing that the Cubanpeople offer an example of the struggleagainst imperialism, which subjects peo-ples across the world to neoliberal policiesof poverty, oppression, and disrespect forthe most basic human rights.

She explained that the idea of joining this delegation came after Fidel’s death.Hundreds of Colombians spontaneouslyflocked to the Cuban Embassy in that cou-ntry and hoped to organize a special char-ter flight to accompany the Cuban peopleduring the funeral activities. Although thisinitiative was not possible, they committedto visit the island later.

She concluded: “All those of us whoadmire the work of Fidel, those membersof left organizations and those who em-braced the ideas of social change, we feelvery sad. We feel as if we have been leftorphaned without a father, and that thegreat guiding light has left us; it is the loss of a great, intelligent man, but weequally believe that he left us the genius ofhis work. With that seed we are going totake over the world.” •

Colombian friends express theirgratitude to the Cuban Revolution

Gilma Gómez Oliveros, coordinator of the dele-gation, noted that the group has traveled to theisland to offer a message of gratitude to Cubafor its efforts in the Colombian peace talks.

Daniel Orjuela Delgado hopes that following thisvisit to Cuba, all members of the delegation willspread the truth about Cuban social reality onceback home.

Members of the Colombian delegation paid tribute to Fidel Castro and author Gabriel GarcíaMárquez, on the 90th anniversary of his birth.

Ortelio González Martínez

• CIEGO DE ÁVILA — Specialists and techniciansfrom the province’s Electric Enterprise are advancingin the construction of the first power plant in CayoRomano, a work valued at over 40 million pesos andpart of plans for the future development of theJardines del Rey tourist destination.

According to engineer Yosbell Vergel Eng, leadingthe Cayería Norte Comprehensive Project Management

(DIP) team, affiliated with the Electric Enterprise, theplant will initially be able to produce 1.8 megawattsand provide electricity for hotel development areas onthe Paredón Grande and Antón Chico islets, which willeventually offer 4,000 rooms.

The diesel power plant is set to greatly benefit thearea. With construction works 78% complete, the twogenerators installed and only minor works left tofinish, the facility is set to undergo adjustments andbegin operating this month.

Vergel Eng also noted that the 10 kilometer under-ground cable connecting the plants located on CayoRomano and Cayo Paredón Grande - the latter withgreat development potential - is ready to be put intooperation.

Electricity infrastructure in Jardines del Rey isexpanding, with a more reliable and efficient serviceon various islets, including Cayo Guillermo, which in2015 was linked up to Cayo Coco through a 38 kilo-meter underground double-circuit line. •

JARDINES DEL REY

New power plant in Cayo Romano

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A WEEKLY ON CUBA AND LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS | MARCH.17.2017 | ENGLISH EDITION

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In pursuit of integrationand development

• Raúl presides 22nd ACS-AEC Ministerial CouncilMeeting

• Venezuela assumes ACS-AEC pro tempore presidency— In the face of attempts to build walls, our choice

will continue to be that of unity, solidarity and compli-mentarity

— The Caribbean can always count on Cuba, whichwill continue to defend the legitimate interests of Carib-bean nations in international and regional forums

— The event addressed concerns regarding a seriesof challenges for the group of 25 member states

• The Declaration of the Fifth Cuba-CARICOM Ordi-nary Meeting:

— Recognized the legacy of Comandante en JefeFidel Castro Ruz, and former leaders of Trinidad andTobago, Patrick Manning, and Haiti, René Preval, onthe development of solid relations based on genuinefriendship, cooperation, and solidarity

— Reaffirmed the decision to consolidate the Com-munity of Latin American and Caribbean States(CELAC) as a mechanism for political consensus,which promotes the unity and interests of the region in its international relations and links with third countries

— Reaffirmed that the Caribbean is an inseparablepart of Our America and highlighted the role of CARICOMin regional integration processes •

Official photo of participants to the 22nd Association of Caribbean States Ministerial Council Meeting.

JOSÉ M. CORREA

Weekly on Cuba and Latin America

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HAVANAMARCH 17, 2017

Year 52 / Number 11Price in Cuba

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YEAR 59 OF THE REVOLUTION

NATIONAL4 GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

‘PAGINA 8 DE INGLES COLOR

• WITH the President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, Army General, Raúl Castro presiding, the 22nd Ministerial CouncilMeeting of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC) wasinaugurated March 10 in Havana.

Speaking during the opening of the session, the island’s ForeignMinister Bruno Rodríguez, recalled the words of the Cuban Presidentwhen, during the Fifth Summit of the Community of Latin Americanand Caribbean States (Celac), held last January in the DominicanRepublic, he stated that “Never has it been more necessary toeffectively advance along the path of unity, recognizing that we havemany common interests.”

The Cuban Foreign Minister stated, “Important changes, signi-ficantly impacting our region, have occurred in the world panoramasince the 7th ACS-AEC Summit, held in Havana.”

Rodríguez Parrilla explained that exclusionary and repressivemigration policies in destination countries could see more LatinAmerican and Caribbean migrants face deportation and dis-crimination; and expressed concern about harsh protectionist traderegulations, which represent a genuine challenge for the sub-region.

He warned that governments of the area have the duty andresponsibility to “Build more just, equal and inclusive societies,centered on human beings,” in order to further unite and integrateLatin American and Caribbean countries.

Meanwhile, ACS-AEC Secretary General, June Soomer, high-lighted the importance of the commitment of the region's women tointegration, and thanked member states for appointing her the bloc’shighest position.

The meeting took place in the capital’s Tryp Habana Libre hotel inthe context of efforts to revitalize the regional organization founded inCartagena de Indias in 1994.

Finally, Venezuela assumed the ACS-AEC Ministerial Council protempore presidency (2017-2018) from Cuba. •

Raúl presides 22nd ACS-AEC MinisterialCouncil Meeting

Sergio Alejandro Gómez

• THE Caribbean meetings held in Havana last week, March8-11, left clear evidence of the leading role our region isplaying in political developments on the continent, as well as the potential which exists for greater integration in theface of adverse international conditions.

The 22nd Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC)Ministerial Council, preceded by the bloc's 1st CooperationConference, as well as the 5th Cuba-CARICOM OrdinaryMeeting, are customary gatherings which usually occurwithout attracting much attention, given the many inter-national events to be covered by the media.

Nonetheless, the tumultuous regional scene, marked bythe arrival of Donald Trump to the White House and hisalarming protectionist announcements, and with Cuba asthe host prioritizing the meetings, the events took on specialsignificance and were attended by high level delegationsfrom the great majority of countries invited.

Over the last year, Cuban diplomats have taken advantageof the country's pro tempore presidency to revitalize theACS, founded in 1994, thanks, to a large degree, to the pushprovided by Havana, facing the Special Period following thecollapse of the Soviet Union.

The initial idea was to create an environment for concertedpolitical action which would include the 25 countries in theGreater Caribbean from Mexico to Trinidad and Tobago. Inmany ways, it could be considered the prototype for whatwould later become a much more ambitious project: theCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean States(CELAC).

During the last ten years, the ACS had lost momentum andmore than a few observers forecast its demise.

The 7th Summit, however, held in Havana in June of 2016,saw renewed interest in the bloc's recovery. It was noaccident that paragraph No.37 in the Declaration of Havana,approved by those in attendance, called for the estab-lishment of a work group to revitalize the organization'soperational structure.

Efforts to consolidate the bloc's functioning went beyondthe region's borders, looking to make a greater contribution

to integrationist processes throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

In fact, on March 11, Cuban Foreign Minister BrunoRodríguez Parrilla emphasized the importance of Carib-bean nations playing a greater role in CELAC, sayingrepeatedly, "Alone, our voice is weak, but together we canbe heard." Given the influence of South American countrieswho now have governments which have little interest inintegration or the work of their predecessors, the numericsuperiority of Caribbean nations, and the unquestionableleadership of many, could serve as a counterweight withinCELAC, which includes Our America's 33 independentstates.

Perhaps a better way to explain this thinking was offered by ACS General Secretary June Soomer, from St. Lucia,who spoke of "aligning the stars," the ACS, ALBA,CARICOM (the Caribbean Community), and CELAC.

Beyond the political situation, there are many reasons tobet on a united Caribbean, held back for centuries by col-onization, the language barrier, and the lack of infrastructurefacilitating interaction between island countries.

These meetings addressed the need to work together onclimate change, transportation, tourism, trade, and co-operation to improve the quality of life of Caribbeans.

Also evident was the untapped potential of the GreaterCaribbean, a market of some 300 million persons, locatedon an important international trade route. The region attractssignificant investment and receives more than 40 millioninternational visitors every year.

In the case of Cuba specifically, the figures are eloquent:2.5 billion dollars in trade with AEC countries, and a 98%increase in commerce with CARICOM countries in 2016, ascompared to the previous year.

Indicative of how much potential exists is Cuba's ex-perience with the Mariel Special Development Zone, whichhas attracted close to a billion dollars in investment andaspires to become a regional commercial hub.

Perhaps few countries are in better condition than Cuba to support Caribbean integration, both in the political andeconomic arenas, without losing sight of projects that in-clude the entire continent from the Rio Bravo to Patagonia.

Cuba is linked with the continent by history, language, andculture - as is the case for other former Spanish pos-sessions - but at the same time shares the Caribbean history of slavery and colonial domination.

Cuba's ties with the small island states of Barbados,Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago are longstanding.Practically as soon as they gained their independence, in1972, these nations established relations with Havanadespite pressure from the United States and the Org-anization of American States, creating a relationship whichhas stood the test of time.

For decades, solidarity and cooperation have been Cuba'sbest ambassadors, ranging from the construction of anairport in Grenada to Operation Miracle which has rest-ored sight to thousands. More than 31,000 collaborators,especially medical staff, have journeyed across theCaribbean and 3,000 youth from these countries arestudying in Cuban classrooms, according to official sta-tistics.

Cuban authorities have reiterated many times, "TheCaribbean can always count on Cuba," and evidence to thefact is the country's commitment to completing plannedefforts, despite its own economic difficulties.

The Cuban Revolution, and especially its historic leaderFidel Castro, is symbolic of the Caribbean people'sresistance. Fidel's presence was felt in every one of thepresentations made by those attending last week'smeetings. And this will no doubt be the case every time thepeoples of the region gather.

Thus, after passing the ACS pro tempore presidency on to Venezuela, Cuba has made clear that it will continue itscontribution to promoting Caribbean integration.

With an agreed upon strategy, well-oiled regionalstructures, and political will, the extreme positions adop-ted by the Trump administration appear less paralyzing forthe ACS, and in fact serve to unite member countries.

Unity can put the Caribbean in a position to advance itsdevelopment, and at the same time contribute to main-taining a balance on the Latin American political stage,despite setbacks for the left in South America and clouds on the horizon to the North. •

The Caribbean: A look at the neighborhood

ESTUDIOS REVOLUCIÓN

NATIONAL 5GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

The Caribbean will always have Cuba’s support• THE Ministerial Council Meeting of theAssociation of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC), held March 10 in Havana, repre-sented another milestone in efforts to revitalize the bloc, composed of 25 nationsof the region.

The event also marked the end of Cuba’sterm as ACS-AEC pro tempore president,for the period 2016-2017, with an agendafocused on strengthening the organizationas a mechanism for political consensusand dialogue in the midst of a turbulent and uncertain international situation.

The meeting was also presided by June Soomer ACS-AEC secretary general;President of Cuba’s Parliament, EstebanLazo, and Salvador Valdés Mesa, a Council of State vice president, amongothers in attendance.

“In the face attempts to build walls, ourchoice will continue to be that of unity, solidarity and complimentarity, in defenseof the most legitimate interest of our peoples,” stated Cuban Foreign Minister,Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, at the start of the work session.

“This can only be achieved in the currentsituation we are facing, if we effectively articulate and organize our actions aroundthe consensus that has been reached.

“The commitments not to interfere directlyor indirectly in the internal affairs of anyother State, and respect the principles ofnational sovereignty, equal rights and self-determination of the peoples; to practicetolerance and peaceful coexistence, aswell as full respect for the inalienable right of all States to choose their political,economic, social and cultural systems, areessential conditions for peace, harmony,development, and the integration of ourcountries,” he stated.

“It is vital to continue advancing in theconsolidation of the Association. The postulates of the Proclamation of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean as a Zone ofPeace constitute guiding principles for relations between our states,” added Rodríguez Parrilla.

Regarding ongoing efforts to revitalize theACS-AEC, he stated that these “cannotamount to the mere modification of struc-tures, budgets, and mechanisms, but aboveall must encompass a broader vision regarding the role that the community mustplay in the present circumstances.”

The Caribbean will always have Cuba’ssupport, stated the Foreign Minister, ex-plaining that Cuba will continue to defendthe legitimate interests of Caribbean nations in international and regional forums. He also thanked countries of theregion for their continuous solidarity andbrave support of Cuba.

During the working sessions of the event,Rodríguez Parrilla also recalled Cuba’saims during its time as president pro tempore of the bloc, highlighting proposalsto enhance and advance in efforts to revita-lize the organization.

He emphasized the importance of the 7thACS-AEC Summit held in June 2016, in theCuban capital. The Declaration of Havana,he added, showed “regional consensus on complex and important issues, demons-trating that the ACS-AEC is a useful mechanism for dialogue and concerted action in defense of common interests.”

An important step in this regard, accor-ding to Rodríguez Parrilla, was the inclu-sion in paragraph 37 of the Declaration instructing the ACS-AEC leadership to create a work group responsible for reviewing and revitalizing the organiza-tion’s operating mechanisms.

PLANS FOR THE PRESENT & FUTURE

At the end of the meeting, Venezuela assumed the Association’s pro temporepresidency from Cuba, while Minister Rodríguez stated that the country will con-tinue to “do everything possible” to contri-bute to the work of the ACS-AEC.

He noted, “Genuinely important agree-ments for the region’s present and future,have been adopted,” while also com-menting that although the negative inter-national situation threatens the future ofCaribbean nations, the organization offersopportunities for “collective action.”

Meanwhile, speaking during a press con-ference held after the event, Cuba’s DeputyForeign Minister, Rogelio Sierra, explainedthat the island is ending its term at thehead of the ACS-AEC, pleased, but notcompletely satisfied given the challengeswhich remain to be addressed.

“We believe that we have made a modestcontribution to Association’s work,” statedSierra.

He reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to con-tinue supporting the bloc in its current roleas ACS-AEC vice president and in honor ofthe visionaries who, in 1992, decided tocreate the organization which was officiallyfounded in 1994, in Cartagena de Indias,with the aim of promoting regional exchangesand cooperation.

Sierra noted that Cuba’s efforts as presi-dent pro tempore centered on promoting,managing and implementing cooperationprojects geared toward disaster responseand climate change.

He added that the island’s role in suc-cessfully organizing the First ACS-AEC Cooperation Conference as head of thebloc, held March 8 in Havana, was recog-nized during the Ministerial Meeting.

Also praised was the usefulness and significance of the projects presented by Cuba, which are open to all memberstates and aim to combat and provide solu-tions to key problems which specifically affect small island states of the Caribbean.

According to Sierra, participants in theMinisterial meeting expressed their sup-port for, and approved, a resolution to paytribute to the historic leader of the CubanRevolution, Fidel Castro, proposed by Secretary-General June Soomer.

The Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister wenton to announce that Japan, the UnitedArab Emirates and Palestine were admittedas ACS-AEC observer states, “nationswhich have had had a proactive outlook to-ward the greater Caribbean community.”

Also addressed during the event wereconcerns regarding a series of challengesfor the group of 25 member states, accor-ding to Sierra, mentioning threats to peace, increased military spending, the impact of climate change, inequality, risingpoverty rates, and opposition to extremeprotectionist measures.

He noted that the issue of migrants cons-titutes a matter of concern for member states, who have stressed the need to eliminate policies which prevent orderly,safe, regular migration; and expressedtheir support and solidarity with Mexico.

Meanwhile, the Fifth Ministerial Meetingof the Caribbean Community and CommonMarket (Caricom)-Cuba, took place onMarch 11, in the capital’s Tryp HabanaLibre hotel, an fitting opportunity to streng-then and expand the close ties which unite the bloc and the island, which “Willenable us to work together within diversityto face the huge challenges caused by the regional and international situation.”

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER

Speaking during the inauguration andclosing ceremonies of the MinisterialCouncil Meeting, ACS-AEC Secretary General June Soomer, reaffirmed her willingness to continue working to streng-then the bloc.

The diplomat from Saint Lucia pledged towork to support Venezuela in its role asPresident Pro Tempore.

She called on the organization’s 25 member states to strengthen the Association and work together to face allchallenges.

Soomer explained that the MinisterialCouncil must find innovative ways to help the organization grow, noting memberstates’ commitment to ensuring the success of the Association.

She highlighted that the bloc’s impor-tance was reaffirmed after a process ofbroad debate and recommendations, alsonoting that the interest of countries fromother regions in participating in ACS-AEC activities represents an excellent opportunity to diversify the organization.

We are in a position to implement impor-tant programs for our development, wemust also focus on promoting educationalexcellence at a regional level, she added.

Soomer went on to express her supportfor the Colombian peace process and invited all member states to participate in“Carifesta,” a cultural exchange event taking place soon in Barbados.

Finally, she thanked Cuba for its support,guidance, ideas, and generosity in the realization of these activities and during its time as president pro tempore.

We have found a path to integration, forboth big and small nations, stated Soomerin her inaugural remarks.

She also expressed her pride as a Carib-bean citizen at being able to implement decisions which benefit the peoples of theregion. We have always navigated wellthrough pitfalls and we acknowledge thatstrengthening this organization will help usto advance, because together we arestronger, noted the ACS-AEC SecretaryGeneral.

Regarding Cuba’s accomplishments, Soomer expressed her admiration for Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, notingthat the island has managed to maintain anexcellent health and educational project.

The ACS-AEC is a platform from which to advance. These are not superficial al-liances, but stem from our common history, she stated.

VENEZUELA, NEW PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE

“The Caribbean is a space for the historiccoming together of our peoples,” stated Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Delcy Rodríguez, highlighting the geopolitical importance of the nations which make upthe Association, during the event closingceremony.

Rodríguez recalled the legacy of Coman-dante en Jefe, Fidel Castro and Bolivarianleader, Hugo Chávez, who worked tire-lessly to achieve regional integration.

In this sense she described the passingof both leaders as a “harsh blow” for the peoples of the Caribbean.

On assuming the ACS-AEC MinisterialCouncil Pro Tempore Presidency, Rodrí-guez, speaking on behalf of President Nicolás Maduro, thanked the bloc for thetrust placed in Venezuela to lead the mechanism for the period 2017-2018.

“It’s a great challenge, and even more so

considering the extraordinary work doneby Cuba at the head of the ACS-AEC.”

At another moment during her speech,Delcy Rodríguez noted that the 22nd Ministerial Council Meeting ended with an action plan which will enable hercountry to offer its support to the SecretaryGeneral.

Regarding important challenges to befaced, she highlighted disaster prevention,given that Caribbean countries are fre-quently affected by severe natural events.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister also high-lighted sustainable tourism as another areaon which work must be done to conti-nue harnessing the potential of regionalcountries in this field.

She also described the ACS-AEC’s position regarding respectful relations bet-ween countries as an example to follow.

The Latin America diplomat expressedher country’s support for Mexico in the face of attempts by the United States tobuild a wall on the border which separatesthe two nations.

Speaking prior to the event with GranmaInternational and ACN, Rodríguez calledto strengthen integration processes amongregional countries, based on each nation’sexisting economic potential.

“Divided we will never achieve our dreams for the future progress of our people. This Friday’s meeting demonstratedthe important commitment by governmentsof our region to advancing on the agenda,which as well as promoting development,aims to reduce existing asymmetries,.”

In this regard, Delcy Rodríguez recalledthat former Venezuelan President HugoChávez stressed the need to critically ad-dress these asymmetries, or challenges,and work on cooperation projects in orderto solve regional problems.

SISTER PEOPLES

Speaking to the press on March 10, in thecontext of the 22nd ACS-AEC MinisterialCouncil Meeting, Mexican Foreign MinisterLuis Videgaray, thanked the Cuban govern-ment and people for their expressions offriendship, affection, and support for hiscountry.

Mexico regards Cuba as a close friend,he noted. We are close peoples and will continue to be sister nations, stated Videgaray.

Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’splan to build a wall on the border with Mexico, the Foreign Minister explained thathis country is a sovereign and strong nation, and expressed thanks for the support of Latin American and Caribbeannations in this regard.

Meanwhile, during a short break in themeeting, Salvadoran Minister of ForeignAffairs, Hugo Martínez stated that Carib-bean countries “are looking to build bridgesable to foster greater exchanges.”

The Central American diplomat went onto highlight the complimentary character ofregional economies, thus providing greateropportunities for trade between them.

At another moment, Martínez said thatboth the Community of Latin American andCaribbean States (CELAC) of which El Salvador is current President Pro Tempore,and the ACS-AEC are aiming to becomestronger in order to tackle common chal-lenges, by promoting integration based onshared values.

“Our position is centered on integration,unity, and cohesion in defense of the values in which we believe. Our position isnot one of confrontation,” stated Martínez. •

NATIONAL6 GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

• CUBA aspires to create joint as-sociations with Caribbean countries,with a view to stimulating joint dev-elopment by exploiting common fac-tors, while respecting each nation’sculture and history, Cuban officialsstated during a press conferenceheld in the context of the High-LevelSegment of the Association of Car-ibbean States ACS-AEC, takingplace March 9, in the Cuban capi-tal.

Through this event, we are show-ing the world that we are an ex-tremely important area, stated JoséChaple Hernández, director of TradePolicy for Latin America and theCaribbean at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment(Mincex).

Chaple noted that the ACS-AEC isan important mechanism for mem-ber states and a vital point of con-tact for the Caribbean region.

According to the Cuban official, theConstitutive Agreement of the org-anization, created in 1994, seeks topromote dialogue, cooperation andjoint action between Caribbean cou-ntries.

In this sense he highlighted theFirst ACS-AEC Cooperation Con-ference which took place March 8,during which projects on climatechange and inter-Caribbean trans-portation were presented.

Regarding trade, he noted thatCuba is the main commercial part-ner of ACS-AEC countries within the Latin American region, while the Caribbean makes up 20% of the island’s foreign trade partner-ships.

Chaple went on to note that Ven-ezuela and Mexico feature amongCuba’s top 10 trading par tners,while trade with Trinidad and Tob-ago’s increased during 2016.

The Cuban official noted that such exchanges were made pos-sible thanks to cooperation agre-ements with various countries of theregion.

“Regarding construction, the mostrecent example of collaboration was the inauguration of the ArgyleInternational Airport, in Saint Vin-cent and the Grenadines, which was attended by Salvador ValdésMesa, a Council of State vicepresident,” stated Chaple. Heexplained that Cuba maintains his-toric cooperation ties with Haiti,where 700 of the island’s health pro-fessionals are currently offeringtheir services, while also noting that initial steps have already beentaken to continue such efforts withthe country’s new government, ledby Jovenel Moise.

“IT’S NOT ABOUT COMPETING,IT’S ABOUT SHARING”

“We are all in the same geographicarea, a space of great economicimportance, linking north to south,

through which both goods and peo-ple travel. This is a strategic region,”stated Déborah Rivas Saavedra,Mincex director general of foreigninvestment.

The Cuban official stressed thatthe regional economy should not be viewed from the perspective ofcompetition, but cooperation. “It’sabout making the most of commonassets and creating economic allia-nces,” she stated. We treat tourism,a strategic sector in the region, assomething shared, not a competi-tion, noted Rivas Saavedra, addingthat Cuba received over four millionvisitors last year.

Regarding joint growth, the Cubanofficial explained that, “With specialdevelopment zones in the region,the 22 member states and partners,believe that we should take a leapforward together.

“Cuba in par ticular,” she noted

“has developed a regulatory frame-work which enables our Caribbeanpartners to seek out agreementswhich generate mutual benefits.”

We have signed agreements withvarious regional countries and in-vestors are able to enjoy the taxincentives offered by our island, shestated.

Rivas also reaffirmed Cuba’sinterest in expanding cooperationwith the Caribbean community andcalled to establish strategic allia-nces within the ACS-AEC.

She went on to note that thecountry has clearly defined med-ium and long term developmentgoals, which include foreign invest-ment in well-defined areas.

Rivas recalled that Cuba contin-ues to be the victim of an economic,commercial and financial blockadeimposed by the United States, theextraterritorial nature of which

negatively affects the island’s rel-ations with foreign partners.

These are the objective conditionswhich impact on and prevent theisland from attracting more foreigninvestment, she noted.

She went on to explain that in-ternal problems exist, such as theneed to further train Cuban bus-inesspeople, but stated that “ourproblems cannot be solved with the strike of a pen, with the signingof a foreign investment law. We must create and enhance the cap-abilities of our entrepreneurs.”

THE ZEDM: A VEHICLE FORPROMOTING COOPERATION

These encounters held within the framework of the ACS-AEC areof vital importance to regional int-egration as they facilitate excha-nges and dialogue, stated Oscar

Unleashing the Caribbean’s potential

COLOR DE LA 4 INGLES

Cuban officials offered a press conference regarding the High-Level Segment of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC)

From left to right, Oscar Pérez, the ZEDM’s Business Assessment director; Déborah Rivas Saavedra, Mincex director general of ForeignInvestment; José Chaple Hernández, Mincex director of Trade Policy for Latin America and the Caribbean at; and Arleen Rodríguez, helda press conference on March 9.

YAIMÍ RAVELO

NATIONAL 7GRANMA INTERNATIONALMARCH.17.2017 |

A successful end to ACS-AEC High-Level Segment

• THE High-Level Segment of the 22ndOrdinary Meeting of the Association ofCaribbean States (ACS-AEC) MinisterialCouncil, held March 9 in Havana’s TrypHabana Libre hotel, proved a beneficialspace to support the process of stren-gthening the Association and the com-mitments and agreements adopted in theHavana Declaration and Action Plan,approved during the organization’s 7thSummit, held in June 2016, in the Cubancapital.

The participating delegations praisedthe work of ACS-AEC Secretary General,June Soomer, and Cuba, in its role aspresident pro tempore of the bloc’s Min-isterial Council, during the period 2016-2017.

Highlighted as important were initiatives

linked to the organization of the FirstACS-AEC Cooperation Conference, theimplementation of training programs oncomprehensive risk and disaster man-agement in the Caribbean, and comb-ating climate change, as well as theefforts of the Technical Working Group,which functions as a mechanism to con-solidate and revitalize the Association.

Also presented during the meeting were the candidates for the ExecutiveBoard of the Ministerial Council and itsSpecial Committees, the ACS-AECSpecial Fund’s Council of National Rep-resentatives, and the Caribbean SeaCommission for the period 2017-2018,who were later approved during the 22nd Ordinary Meeting of the ACS-AECon March 10.

Meanwhile, participants paid tribute to the leader of the Cuban Revolution,Fidel Castro Ruz, whose legacy sup-porting regional cooperation and int-egration was present throughout theevent.

Attendees also conveyed their con-dolences to the people of Haiti followingthe death of the country’s former Pre-sident René Préval, one of the mostimportant leaders in Haiti’s recent history.(CUBAMINREX) •

Pérez Oliva Fraga, Business Asse-sment director at the Mariel SpecialDevelopment Zone (ZEDM).

Oliva Fraga recalled that the ZEDMwas created in September 2013,intended to be a hub for industrial,logistical, port and commercial pro-jects with the aim of making theCaribbean a strategic trade center,and supporting regional and globalintegration.

She described the zone as an int-eresting vehicle through which Car-ibbean countries can access Cuba’scooperation agreements with othercountries from Latin America andthe world.

The ZEDM provides an opportunityto strengthen links within the regionand the rest of the world, noted theCuban official.

The container terminal is also a great opportunity to promote tradeand maritime connectivity, she said.

According to Pérez Oliva, newprojects have recently been incor-porated into the ZEDM, such as aPortuguese design company, eng-ineering and material productioninitiatives, a logistics services com-pany from Panama and anotherfrom Brazil, as well as a joint ven-ture between A.T. Comercial andIberostar providing tourism basedlogistics services.

(GI news staff) •

Press conference regarding the High-Level Segment of the Association of Caribbean States(ACS-AEC).

Inauguration of the First ACS-AEC Cooperation Conference.

YAIMÍ RAVELO

YAIMÍ RAVELO

Key figures:

TRADE

Trade between Cuba and the ACS-AEC exceeds

2.5 billion dollars

Equal to 20% of the island’s global trade

Equal to 70% of Cuba’s business with Latin

America and the Caribbean

Caribbean students

currently enrolled in

Cuban universities

Over 30,000 Cuban

collaborators offering

services in the region

THE REGION’S POTENTIAL

millionconsumers

Growing sectors:

The manufacturing

industry

Logistics servicestourists a year

million

Strategic geographic

location with

important economic

flows and

investments.

MARIEL: A GATEWAY TO THE CARIBBEAN

in investments in the Mariel

Special Development Zone

(ZEDM) alone.

million dollars

users Caribbean

associates

square

kilometers

jobs

created

investors from different

countries including Cuba

,

Energy

Mining

.,

SOURCE: MINCEX