Cuban News Agency

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In statements to PL news agency, Ambassador Rose said that thanks to
principles like solidarity and complementation among countries, thousands
of Vincentians have recovered their sight upon the implementation in his
country of the free-eye-surgery program known as Operation Miracle, and
which they call Vision Now.

Cuba’s cooperation with its sister Caribbean nation mainly focuses on the
sectors of healthcare, education and infrastructure.

The ambassador recalled that over 200 youths from his country have
graduated from Cuban universities, while another one hundred students are
currently taking different courses here.
Dexter Rose particularly stressed Cuba’s cooperation in what he called the
largest project ever in his country’s history, which is an international
airport to boost the tourist sector.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is made up of 32 isles and keys currently
consolidating as a tourist destination. Tourism is the country’s major
income source.
 
As to the US economic, commercial and blockade of Cuba, the ambassador
said that due to its extraterritorial nature, the unilateral measure
affects the whole Caribbean region.
Little is said about the impact by the US blockade on regional trade,
especially about the Torricelli Law, which prevents a boat from calling US
ports during a period of time if she has first visited any Cuban harbor,
said Rose.

“The US blockade of Cuba is an action against all of us, because it also
bans the exchange of knowledge,” he pointed out. He explained that there
are many professionals who are afraid of coming to different conferences
hosted by Havana when they think of the consequences they would have to
face later.
 
However, the international community has repeatedly rejected the US’s
hostile Cuba policy, which has inflicted Cuba damage calculated at over
975 billion dollars.