Minister hails Obama’s Jamaica visit

By Gerald V. Paul

U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro meet at the Summit of the Americas.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro meet at the Summit of the Americas.

Barack Obama’s visit to Jamaica prior to the Summit of the Americas “signals to the world and region that Jamaica is important to the world,” Jamaica’s State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said during a visit to the Jamaica Canadian Centre in Toronto.

Arnaldo Brown noted the summit was in Panama and the U.S. president did not have to visit Jamaica but chose to do so anyway, partly because of the role Jamaica played in bringing Cuba to the summit for the first time.

“Jamaica revealed that this was an unjust situation, to keep Cuba out of the leadership role they can play,” Brown said on Monday. “This president is strategic, after 50 years of the Cuban embargo.”

Jamaica Consul General Lloyd Wilks, Senator Don Meredith, Jamaican State Minister Arnaldo Brown and businesswoman Claudette Anderson. Gerald V. Paul Photo.
Jamaica Consul General Lloyd Wilks, Senator Don Meredith, Jamaican State Minister Arnaldo Brown and businesswoman Claudette Anderson. Gerald V. Paul Photo.

Brown went so far as to introduce his speech with the playing of a recording of Obama’s speech at the University of the West Indies to young leaders. “Waa Gwaan Jamaica,” Brown added.

He said Obama was listening to Bob Marley’s Exodus on Air Force One before his touchdown in Jamaica and the first place he visited was Marley’s Museum.

Brown recounted that as Obama stood in awe of the museum he said “I still have all of the albums” and he told Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller “one of the most fun meetings I’ve had since I’ve been president. I‘ve been a big fan since I was in high school.”

At the summit, Obama met with Cuban President Raul Castro. Prime Minister Stephen Harper also met with Castro.

Obama has submitted to Congress a “report and certifications” indicating the U.S. plans to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a key step to normalizing relations between the two nations.

De-listing Cuba is one of many steps involved in restoring ties between Washington and Havana. The two governments are now looking at the logistics of reopening embassies.

Toronto businessman Mark Persaud shared his photos on Facebook of a visit to Cuba, saying, “This vestige of the cold war should be a phenomenon quickly put behind as Cuba is encouraged to fully engage and participate with all countries in the region and correspondingly embrace democratic reforms.

“In a visit to Cuba earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak to many Cubans who voiced a great sense of optimism and hope about the attempt to normalize relations. They are especially excited about the positive economic prospects with a renewed American relationship.”

Brown was also in Toronto to speak about the Jamaican Diaspora and the sixth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference to be held June 13-18 at Montego Bay, called Linking for Growth and Prosperity.

He said Jamaicans are a resilient and robust people and “if the younger generation in Canada are not doing so well, send them to Jamaica and they will be sorted out. The solutions to our problems rest with us.”

Simpson Miller will deliver the keynote address on “a call to action for Diaspora members to be promoters and protectors of our global brand, and builders of brand Jamaica’”

Brown reminded the audience of Vision 2030 Jamaica which aims to make “Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.”

The plan was prepared by Jamaicans from all sectors of society, locally and overseas, to “guide our country’s development up to the year 2030. It sets a clear path for Jamaica to attain developed country status by then.”

Brown praised former Ontario minister Dr. Mary Ann Chambers for her excellent work on mapping Jamaica’s Diaspora, calling her “the champion of the mapping project.”

Mapping Jamaica’s Diaspora was implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration. Take the survey at www.mapjadiaspora .iom.int.

Gerald V. Paul
Gerald V. Paul