Port of Spain, Nov 16: The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) has rejected the US blockade of Cuba and hoped that the president elect Barack Obama eliminates it.

With the new government that has indicated new ideas regarding its policy towards Cuba, we hope that the process of change implies an end to the blockade, general secretary of ACS Luis Fernandez Andrade said.

He said "Cuba is part of the region. Cuba cooperates with all of us. We are against this practice. We must raise our voices to oppose it."

During a regional meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) few days ago comprising 15 member nations, they said that the US blockade against Cuba for more than 50 years constitutes an obstacle to development of the area.

The firm position of CARICOM was expressed during a session of the United Nations called to analyse the proposal of Cuba that Washington end the unjustifiable and cruel blockade.

This time the community has joined the ACS to promote consultations, cooperation and actions in favour of its members.

ACS comprises of 25 Caribbean nations and 11 associate members and was formed on July 24, 1994. Members of the Association include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vicente and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

Associate members participating in the debates and voting on issues related to their interests were Aruba, Dutch Antilles, Turks and Caicos Islands, and France, representing Guadalupe, French Guyana and Martinique, its territories in the Caribbean.

Bureau Report