Caribbean Times 3rd Issue - Wednesday 22nd February 2017

4 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Wednesday 22nd February 2017
CARICOM should not fear Cuba
By Everton Barnes
The countries of the
Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) need not fear
the improving relations between
Cuba and the United
States and the anticipated
‘opening up’ of the Spanish-speaking
countries to
international free trade.
The assurances came
from the head of the Centre
for International Economic
Research’s Department
of Caribbean Studies at
the University of Havana,
Professor Marlen Sanchez
The New Winthropes
Primary School held their
71st Anniversary Thanksgiving
Service today at the
New Winthropes Seven Day
Adventist Church under the
theme: Celebrating God's
Faithfulness.
Gutierrez.
The professor, who
spoke with Caribbean
Times during her stop-over
visit to Antigua, said the
Cuban government is aware
that many Caribbean countries
are worried about the
process of normalization
now underway between
Washington and Havana.
She noted that there is
the belief that Cuba will
abandon the Caribbean return
to its previous close
ties with the U.S should the
economic blockade be lifted.
However, she said that
not the view of the authorities
in Havana and that’s
why Cuba is undertaking a
diversification of its investment
portfolio.
“There is a concern that
Caribbean countries are
worried about what is going
to happen with the potential
deviation of trade
and finance should Cuba
become another competitor
and they don’t have the capacity
to compete. I don’t
think that is true!” she declared.
She acknowledged that
there will be some changes
if Cuba establishes relations
with the U.S, but that
in the short term nothing
will change dramatically.
“In the short term nothing
is going to happen! Because
Cuba has too many
structural problems now
and it will not be able to
assimilate properly a huge
influx of investments,” she
revealed.
For example, she noted
that Cuba cannot now take
an influx of tourists by air
or by sea as it does not have
the infrastructure to accommodate
the cruise ships and
that its airports are in dire
need of upgrading.
“We are now trying to
have investments in airports
to take advantage of
the expected influx, but it
will take time,” she stated.
Additionally, she disclosed
the country’s finance
system also needs
overhauling to make proper
provisions for currency exchange.
She cautioned that while
normalization will bring
much benefits, Cuba has a
myriad of domestic issues,
particularly infrastructure,
that need to be readied if
the island is to take full advantage
of improving relations
with the US.
“Cuba needs time to organize
inside Cuba so the
impact is not going to be
short-term,” she declared.