In a meaningful diplomatic milestone that closes a 20-year personal and professional circle, Angella Jackson has officially presented her credentials as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ (SVG) new ambassador to Cuba, marking a fresh chapter in the longstanding bilateral ties between the two Caribbean nations.
Jackson, a professionally trained accountant who earned her higher education in Cuba, assumed her post as Kingstown’s top diplomatic representative in Havana starting March 1. Her path to the ambassadorial role traces back to 2007, when she graduated from Cuba’s University of Ciego de Avila with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. Reflecting on the credential presentation ceremony, Jackson called the formal procedure “a wonderful experience for me”, noting the full-circle nature of her return to the island that shaped her early career.
“I consider Cuba my second home, as I spent six years of my life here earning my bachelor’s degree in accounts and finance. It was, indeed, a heartwarming experience that 20-plus years later I am now here to serve and represent my country,” Jackson shared in comments after the official event.
Diplomatic preparations for Jackson’s appointment began in mid-May, when she submitted a copy of her credentials to Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Josefina Vidal Ferreiro in Havana on May 12. During that meeting, the two officials held cordial discussions focused on the future of bilateral cooperation. Jackson also recalled that SVG and Cuba first established formal diplomatic relations back in 1992 under SVG’s then New Democratic Party (NDP) administration.
“And we have come full circle. We are back, with me representing our government and, specifically, our people. So it’s indeed a pleasure and an honour,” she added.
The formal credential presentation to Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel took place on Thursday, May 14, 2026, where Jackson joined other new heads of diplomatic missions from across the globe at the ceremony held in Havana. A photo from the event captures (from left to right) Cuban Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerardo Peñalver Portal, President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Ambassador Angella Jackson, and her two sons Afari Samuel and Jahfari Samuel at the official gathering.
Jackson highlighted that she was received with full diplomatic honors during her visit, including a formal escort to Havana’s iconic Plaza de La Revolucion ahead of the ceremony. Following the official submission of her credentials to President Díaz-Canel, the two held a short, productive discussion. In the talks, President Díaz-Canel extended congratulations to SVG Prime Minister Godwin Friday on his recent election to office.
The Cuban president also expressed gratitude for SVG’s consistent backing of Cuba in multilateral global forums, particularly SVG’s ongoing calls to end the decades-long economic blockade imposed on Cuba. For her part, Jackson thanked the Cuban leader for his country’s longstanding support to SVG over the decades. She conveyed warm personal greetings from Prime Minister Friday and SVG Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, and reaffirmed SVG’s commitment to maintaining its solid partnership with Havana.
Jackson’s appointment to the Havana ambassadorial post was first announced publicly by Bramble during a press statement in Kingstown on January 22, as part of a broader round of new appointments to heads of missions and consular posts around the world.