Final preparations for 3rd Cuba-CARICOM Summit

Granma International

December 5, 2008

José Antonio Torres

SANTIAGO DE CUBA.— The people of Santiago are finalizing details in their emblematic city as hosts of the 3rd Cuba-CARICOM Summit, scheduled to begin next Monday.

Final preparations for 3rd Cuba-CARICOM SummitPublic squares, monuments, avenues and institutions are being decked out in order to receive the 14 heads of state or government of the countries comprising this group, as well as the CARICOM General Secretary and the principal executives of the Association of Caribbean States.

At Santa Ifigenia cemetery, preparations are complete for the dignitaries’ tribute to our national hero José Martí, marking the first official activity of the event.

Likewise, preparations have been completed to receive the visitors at the Antonio Maceo International Airport and in the Plaza de la Revolución, where the welcome ceremony will be staged. They will also learn more about the Protest of Baraguá, a symbol of the revolutionary intransigence of the Cuban nation.

Meanwhile, preparations have been underway at the Hotel Meliá-Santiago to successfully host the official talks of the Summit in which the governments of the region will determine their position with respect to the acute challenges caused by the financial, energy, food, and environmental crisis.

The Summit will also analyze the impact of these phenomena on the region, draw up strategies to confront them and reinforce the actions of Caribbean nations in the face of threats to the survival of the peoples.

Translated by Granma International •