Said Musa Defends Cuba as Medical Mission Faces Uncertainty

Can Belize afford to abandon a country that stood with us when independence was still uncertain? As pressure from the United States places Belize’s relationship with Cuba under renewed scrutiny, former Prime Minister Said Musa says the answer is no. In an exclusive interview with News Five, Musa reflects on Cuba’s early and unwavering support for Belize, then British Honduras, despite Guatemala’s territorial claim. His comments come as uncertainty surrounds the future of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Belize.

 

Rt. Hon. Said Musa

“I could never countenance supporting that. These people have stood with us, sending doctors and nurses to our country. Took care of me in fact. I had to go they’re for some treatment as well, and many Belizeans. Mexico and Cuba have been very faithful to Belize. Mexico had a claim too, but they were prepared to drop it, providing that Guatemala would drop it. Otherwise, Mexico would keep its claim. But then we found another way through the OAS to accomplish the same thing. And I think eventually with the ICJ giving its decision by the end of next year, that whole thing will be behind us and Belize will remain intact, from the Hondo to the Sarstoon. I can assure the Belizean people about that. Let us put it that way. It would mean a great deal. I would take pride in that, that our work was not in vain and the main thing is that we had faith in the Belizean people and we trusted them to make the right decision first of all. And then we trusted our friends who stood by us. So, we cant in this time now, when we are moving towards a complete solution to the problem, abandon Cuba, no, no. We have to find another way to deal with this problem.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: