Contributed
Prime Minister Bruce Golding (left) and Cuban president, Raúl Castro, embrace.

Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Signatures and signals. These words best describe the recently concluded Bruce Golding-led trip to Caribbean neighbour, Cuba.

Five major agreements to increase cooperation between the two countries were signed, and despite a paucity of details, Government officials remain upbeat.

However, the visit was as much about sending signals as it was about signing deals. It was a clear indication that the close relation-ship between Jamaica and Cuba would remain, despite the fact that the traditional Cuban allies, the People's National Party, was no longer in power.

It was also a signal that despite the Cuban light-bulb scandal (that incidentally, has brought an international audit to the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica's books), the two countries will continue to be allies.

But, perhaps most important was the signal that the bad blood between the Cuban government and the Edward Seaga-led Jamaica Labour Party government of the 1980s was now water under the bridge.

The prime minister was accompanied by five members of his Cabinet, the largest government delegation to leave the island since the Jamaica Labour Party won state power eight months ago.

Golding was also the first Caribbean leader to have an official face-to-face meeting with Cuba's Raúl Castro since he assumed the presidency in 2008.

Wreath-laying ceremony

The meeting, at the imposing Palace of the Revolution, followed a wreath-laying ceremony at the nearby monument of Cuban national hero, José Martí.

With an impressive guard of honour, the two leaders entered the former palace, which serves as a strong reminder of the 1959 revolution that ended the rule of General Fulgencio Batista and signalled the birth of communist Cuba.

Golding left that meeting in high spirits with commendation for the work that Castro was doing.

He later told journalists that he was impressed with Raúl Castro's liberal reforms - such as opening up cellphone and hotel access for ordinary Cubans - a stark contrast to the tight grip on freedoms of his older, more flamboyant brother, Fidel.

Golding also indicated his willingness to use Jamaica's influence to improve the relationship between Cuba and the United States, whose decades-old embargo has restricted the Caribbean island's trade and tourist sectors.

But the uphill battle Golding faces was underlined hours later as US President George W. Bush sounded off on Cuba.

In a speech to business leaders in Washington, Bush scolded major democracies that do business in Cuba and spurned calls to end hard-line US policies now that Fidel Castro has officially given up power.

"That sentiment is exactly backward. To improve relations, what needs to change is not the United States, what needs to change is Cuba," Bush said. "So far, all Cuba has done is replace one dictator with another. And its former ruler is still influencing events from behind the scenes."

The transfer of power from Fidel to Raúl Castro has led to fresh calls for the US to lift the embargo Washington imposed on Cuba not long after the 1959 revolution.

But Bush has argued that this would amount to doing business with a brutally oppressive regime, rewarding it for crackdowns on human rights and democratic activists.

Impressed

Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have already indicated a willingness to improve relations with Cuba.

In the meantime, the Cuban authorities seemed just as impressed with the Jamaicans and they rolled out the red carpet for the prime minister and Mrs Golding, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ken Baugh, Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett, Health Minister Ruddy Spencer, Water and Housing Minister Dr Horace Chang and Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton.

The Jamaican ministers spent hours with their Cuban counterparts hammering out details of the five frameworks of understanding.

At the end of the meetings, it was clear that it could be a win-win situation for both countries, particularly in the areas of agriculture, tourism, water and housing.

With the Cuban tourist industry poised for take-off, Jamaica offered to provide technical knowledge on destination marketing and other areas that it has perfected over the years.

With Old Havana as an example, the Cubans will provide assistance on heritage tourism, among other areas.

Jamaica has already identified Port Royal, Falmouth and Spanish Town as potential sites for heritage tourism.

State-of-the-art institutions

A visit to two of the state-of-the-art institutions which care for Jamaicans who travel to Cuba for eye surgery left the Jamaican delegation impressed and talks are slated to continue on the possibility of Cuba establishing a similar facility in Jamaica to treat persons from around the Caribbean.

One could almost hear the gears turning in Golding's head during a visit to the Information Sciences University where 11,000 persons are being trained in information technology (IT).

The university graduates more than 400 IT specialists each year and could soon accept Jamaican students on full scholarships.

'Eat what we grow and grow what we eat' is the theme for this year's Labour Day celebrations, but that has been the mantra of the Cubans for decades.

A visit to the Green House Agricultural Complex introduced the Jamaicans to organic farming on a wide scale and the Cubans indicated a willingness to provide Jamaica with technical assistance to address many of the problems now facing its farmers.

The two countries face similar problems in water and housing and talks are to continue on ways to work jointly to address these.

Jamaican students in Cuba were not left out as the prime minister promised to increase the stipend paid to them as well as to address several other problems they faced.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com