Caribbean Report 22-01-1993

Abstract

Cuba has adopted a cautious wait and see attitude towards the new President Bill Clinton administration. President Clinton is caught between those in his party who advocate warmer relations between Cuba and those who want Fidel Castro removed - correspondent Lionel Martin interviews Cuba’s Foreign Minister - Ricardo Alarcón about the attitude of Havana to the new team in Washington and other current US foreign policy relations issues affecting Cuba, as well as Haiti. He felt that the US should not impose certain sanctions on Cuba and treat Cuba with respect. American activist – Rev. Jessie Jackson says that the Clinton administration must move quickly to restore democracy in Haiti. He criticized Clinton decision to use a naval blockade to stop an expected flood of refugees from Haiti. He also said that if something was not done soon Haitians will begin to cast themselves into the sea en masse. Meanwhile, in Port-au-Prince former mayor Evans Paul warned that Dante Cuputo - UN envoy to Haiti might be pushing too hard. Puerto Rico’s new government will maintain its links with the rest of the Caribbean, moves towards becoming a US state. Baltasar Corrada del Río - Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State of Puerto Rico’s for Overseas Caribbean Development programme - in an interview with Yvette Rowe advises that Puerto Rico won’t sever its ties with the rest of the Caribbean. He advised that because of Puerto Rico’s long history of ties with the Caribbean region and it its geo-political location it is important to trade and investment, communication, and technical development.

The Puerto Rico’s Senate is debating a bill to repeal a law passed last year that makes Spanish the official language of the island. A similar bill has already been passed by the Lower House, and If the bill goes to the Senate, it would go on to conference where the two houses would work out a joint bill. This would mean that Puerto Rico would return to having two official languages – Spanish and English. Correspondent Debbie Ransome reports that Jamaican retention of the death penalty comes under fire from a senior British Opposition MP. Sir Gerald Bernard Kaufman – a senior Br opposition MP has stepped up arguments linking Jamaican’s retention of the death penalty to aid and trade with Britain. The British government has ruled out such action. The intensity of the Labour’s Party campaign against the death penalty continues to place Jamaica under the spotlight. The campaign last year was fronted by Labour MP - Christopher John Mullin. However, MP Kaufman called for the abolition of the death penalty in Jamiaca, and his petition to Prime Minister John Major to make representation in the European Community 13 members to suspend their aid and trade links to Jamaica until the island improves its human rights record which he describes as one of the worst for any democracy. Correspondent Debbie Ransome reports that an official notice offering shares in the Barbados National Oil company appeared in Britain’s Guardian newspapers. The offering of the net assets of BNOC to would be British investors was advertised as part of the divestment plans by the Barbados government. American entertainment giant Time Warner and other American companies gets involved in a plan to distribute broadcasts from this year’s Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival abroad to an international audience. For the second consecutive year Trinidad’s National Carnival Commission has sold the rights to a local media house. This year media conglomerate Caribbean Communications Network (CCN) obtained these rights and brought in overseas companies to rebroadcasts. Correspondent Tony Fraser interviews CCN’s Station Manager - Bernard Pantin on the issue of how much control that Trinidad and Tobago will keep on its Carnival.