标签： Dominica

Cuban Ambassador Miguel Manuel Fraga González has issued a forceful rebuttal to what he characterizes as a “slanderous” disinformation campaign orchestrated by US diplomatic officials. The response comes following critical remarks made by the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Barbados regarding Cuba’s international medical cooperation programs.

The diplomatic communique presents a stark contrast between Cuba’s humanitarian outreach and United States foreign policy approaches. According to the Cuban government, over 605,000 Cuban health professionals have voluntarily participated in medical missions across 165 nations, delivering treatment to more than 2.3 billion patients and saving an estimated 12 million lives through surgical interventions, childbirth assistance, and comprehensive medical care.

Ambassador Fraga highlights that this medical diplomacy occurs despite Cuba operating under “a cruel regime of sanctions” imposed by the United States over six decades. The document cites international recognition of Cuba’s medical efforts, including acknowledgments from the World Health Organization and former President Barack Obama, who in 6 praised Cuban doctors’ service to poor and suffering populations.

The response sharply criticizes US foreign policy, noting that while Cuba has dispatched medical professionals globally, the United States has conducted military interventions in over 25 countries resulting in millions of casualties. The ambassador specifically references recent US military actions in the Caribbean Sea that allegedly resulted in more than 100 fatalities, described by UN experts as extrajudicial killings.

The Cuban government rejects accusations of “forced labor” in its medical missions as politically motivated falsehoods, emphasizing that participation is voluntary and governed by bilateral agreements respecting international law. The document concludes by condemning current US efforts to intensify economic pressure on Cuba, including attempts to restrict fuel shipments, which Havana views as attempted creation of a humanitarian crisis.

In a significant stride toward regional economic unification, the Caribbean Community (Movement of Factors) Bill 2026 has been formally enacted by Parliament. This pivotal legislation operationalizes core provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, establishing a robust legal framework to guarantee the right of establishment, the provision of services, and the unimpeded movement of capital across all CARICOM Member States.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Vince Henderson heralded the passage of the Bill as a transformative moment for regional integration. He emphasized that the Act is designed to dismantle longstanding practical barriers that have historically hindered the free flow of people, capital, skills, and enterprise between member nations. “The Caribbean Movement of Factors Act is a critical instrument to translate regional policy into enforceable national law,” Dr. Henderson stated, underscoring its role in moving from agreement to action.

The legislation is engineered to fortify the CARICOM economic union by instituting a predictable, transparent, and rights-based regulatory environment for cross-border economic activity. By systematically removing a complex web of administrative and legal obstacles, the Act ensures that both nationals and residents of member states can fully exercise their rights to establish businesses, offer services, and transfer capital without undue restriction.

Dr. Henderson further elaborated on the macroeconomic significance, noting, “The Act enables the movement of capital among member states, which is the main thing. In the creation of an economic union through the Caribbean Common Market, we are ensuring that all member states, with minor amendments for their specific circumstances, adopt congruent legislation. This harmonization guarantees that all nationals throughout the economic union can uniformly enjoy these fundamental rights.” This legislative alignment is anticipated to stimulate investment, foster competitive markets, and solidify the region’s position as a cohesive economic bloc.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has publicly condemned the Electoral Commission of Dominica for what he characterizes as a severe administrative failure in maintaining the nation’s voter registration system. During a parliamentary session on Monday, the Prime Minister asserted that the Commission created an artificial impasse to justify its non-compliance with statutory obligations under the newly enacted Registration of Electors Act, 2025.

The controversy stems from the Commission’s decision to suspend all voter registration activities for approximately twelve months, citing necessary technological upgrades mandated by the 2025 legislation. This Act requires the implementation of an advanced computerized system incorporating biometric facial and fingerprint recognition capabilities.

PM Skerrit revealed that the Commission had previously procured a technology-supported registration system from Semelex International in 2017, which already possessed the biometric capabilities now required by law. Despite this existing infrastructure, the Commission procured a second system from the same vendor in June 2025 following the Act’s passage.

The Prime Minister challenged the Commission’s justification for the prolonged suspension, arguing that even without the preferred technological systems, the Commission remained legally obligated to continue registration through manual or legacy methods. He emphasized that Section 17:1 of the Act explicitly mandates continuous registration without provision for interruption based on administrative convenience or technological readiness.

Skerrit highlighted the particular impact on young citizens who have reached voting age during this suspension period and have been unable to exercise their constitutional rights. The Dominica Labour Party, which Skerrit leads, has reportedly been prevented from bringing new voters into the democratic process for the past year.

The Electoral Office has announced that voter registration will finally resume on March 9, 2026, in accordance with the provisions of the 2025 Act, ending what the Prime Minister describes as an unjustifiable year-long interruption of a statutory process that Parliament intended to be continuous.

In a forceful address to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla issued a stark warning about what he characterized as a new global dictatorship spearheaded by the United States. Speaking at the High-Level Segment of the Council’s 61st session in Geneva on February 23, 2026, Rodríguez Parrilla condemned what he described as a philosophy of dispossession and the normalization of force that undermines the post-World War II international order.

The Cuban diplomat asserted that beyond ideological divisions, all nation-states now face existential threats from policies of aggression, interventionism, and resource competition. He specifically highlighted the struggle over strategic assets including hydrocarbons, critical minerals, rare earth elements, water resources, biodiversity, and commercial trade routes as flashpoints for potential conflict.

Rodríguez Parrilla reserved particular criticism for American economic policies, labeling tariffs as instruments of aggression and condemning the extraterritorial application of U.S. laws. He characterized attempts to subject global affairs to the jurisdiction of American courts as a fundamental violation of state sovereignty and international legal norms.

The address focused significantly on a January 29 executive order from the U.S. president that Rodríguez Parrilla described as imposing collective punishment on the Cuban people. He asserted this policy deliberately seeks to create a humanitarian catastrophe through an energy blockade, asking rhetorically whether the international community would allow ‘a great power to attempt to destroy a small, peaceful nation under the crude pretext of national security.’

Despite these challenges, the Foreign Minister emphasized Cuba’s determination to defend its self-determination, independence, and constitutional order through national unity and consensus. He outlined the nation’s resilience measures, including leveraging its educated population, robust healthcare and education systems, agricultural resources, water reserves, mineral wealth, and domestic energy production capabilities. Rodríguez Parrilla noted Cuba produces nearly half of its consumed crude oil and is expanding its solar energy investment program as part of its strategy to prevent humanitarian crisis through self-reliance.