Cuba

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, in partnership with the Secretariat of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, hosted a Caribbean regional meeting under the auspices of the project “Wise use of Caribbean Wetlands for Climate Change Mitigation and Conservation of their Ecosystems,” from February 11-22, 2023.

For the first time, a Cuban leader visited Belize on Sunday, February 12th. The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez were officially visiting the Jewel, where he was invited to an extraordinary joint session of the National Assembly. The historic visit was a sign of the strong ties between both countries. The visit was also the opportunity to sign two agreements between Belize and Cuba, and the United States (U.S.) urged to lift sanctions on the island nation.

It has been a week since the arrival of Majid Khan, a former al-Qaeda courier, to Belize. The 42-year-old Pakistani was held in the high-security United States (U.S.) facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for over 15 years on terrorism-related charges. After completing his prison time, he was relocated to Belize following negotiations between the governments of the U.S. and Belize. Upon his arrival, Foreign Minister Honourable Eamon Courtenay assured the Belizean people that Khan's presence in the country posed no threat to national security.

A weather disturbance with disorganized showers moving west across the Caribbean Sea had Belizeans on alert when it was forecast to become a major storm, with the possibility of heading towards Belize. The storm has developed into Hurricane Ian. According to the most recent models, its path will take it away from Belize, heading north towards western Cuba and the state of Florida in the United States.

July 15, 2022 marked 27 years of established diplomatic relations between Belize and Cuba. The bilateral relationship between Belize and Cuba is a true example of a good neighbour, friend and comrade. Both countries have cultivated a strong friendship rooted in cooperation, shared values and mutual respect.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, June 15th, the first since he took office in 2020, Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. John Briceño said he did not chastise the United States (US) President Joseph Biden during his speech at the recent Summit of the Americas. Briceño made headlines when he openly criticized the decision of the US host to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from the summit held June 6-10 in Los Angeles, California, on the west coast of the US.

The Programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, implemented by UNESCO and funded by the European Union, has joined hands with the Goethe Institute and the Centre for InterAmerican Studies at the Bielefeld University in Berlin to strengthen the international market exposure of Caribbean hip-hop artists. To this end, it has launched a call to sponsor the participation of up to three music projects of the genre in the International Festival and Symposium "Re-inventing Europe from the Caribbean. Urban Cultures, Translocal Identities and Social Movements in the Black Atlantic", which will take place in Berlin, Germany, from 28 to 31 July 2022. 

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has embarked on a five-day tour of several Central American countries and Cuba. He started his official trip to Guatemala on Thursday, May 5th, and will then visit El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, and Cuba. The main topics to be discussed include assistance in development and trade and exploring ways to alleviate migration pressure from the said region.