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PARAMARIBO--President Desi Bouterse has complimented Cuban President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama on the restoration of relations between their countries. "My compliments to you for taking this grand step," Bouterse wrote on Monday in letters that were dispatched to both Presidents.
His letters are in response to announcements from both the White House and Havana on Wednesday last week that they would restore diplomatic relations after 53 years of separation. In his letter to Obama Bouterse wrote: "Today marks a milestone in the shift of the foreign policy of your country. Your announcement heralds a new phase in the US/Cuba relations that will open the door to normalisation."
He stressed that while he was happy with the restoration, Suriname would continue to plead for a full-fledged removal of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba. The President expressed hopes that the American Congress would underscore the importance of lifting the embargo. "Be assured of my full support in realising this renewed approach, because in the end this is about people, our civilians who are suffering."
To Castro he wrote that Suriname has always placed the matter of restoration high on the agenda of regional and international forums and will continue to do so until the boycott has been fully lifted.
With his letters the President joins other Surinamese political leaders who have expressed elation with the US/Cuba announcement. Last week the National Party Suriname (NPS) and the United Reformed Party VHP – opposition parties – expressed their happiness with the normalisation.
The NPS wrote in a statement that the restoration is the fulfilment of a long-awaited wish that has been expressed by several governments in which the NPS participated under the leadership of President Ronald Venetiaan. It mentioned that it had also joined in condemning the blockade through several resolutions that had been issued by the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations (UN) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The NPS praised Roman Catholic Pope Francis for his "untiring effort" to get the USA and Cuba to talk and reach a breakthrough that would benefit both countries and all countries in the hemisphere.
The VHP said it welcomed the development "after a half century distrust has been conquered and a new relationship started between both countries – a historic step," the opposition party reflected.
The VHP too said it expected the improvement of the relations between the USA and Cuba to benefit the entire Western Hemisphere. The party recalled that in April 2009 President Obama, speaking at the fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, had said that "all our nations have the right to choose their own path, but we also have a responsibility to see to it that all citizens of the Americas are granted the opportunity to strive to realise their dreams in a democratic community."
