Some 120 international delegates from 19 countries closed the 7th Assembly of the Caribbean People Sunday, which discussed topics such as climate change, colonialism, and the U.S. blockade on Cuba.

In the wake of hurricanes that devastated several countries in the region, the assembly was dedicated to the memory and legacy of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and recently deceased Dominican activist Jesus Adon, whose teachings the participants said can serve as a guide during these difficult times.

Held in the Dominican Republic, the gathering also discussed regional economic ties, human rights violations, Puerto Rico’s colonial status, and respect for the sovereignty and integrity of Venezuela.

“We are facing a process of imperialist remilitarization of the Caribbean basin, plagued by the presence of a large number of military bases, infrastructures and the armies of the United States, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, often disguised behind supposed cooperation agreements and humanitarian interventions,” a statement from the group said.

Participants condemned the United States’ reaction to the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, a U.S. colony.

“We denounce the management of this serious humanitarian crisis by the Trump administration that highlights the theory of disaster capitalism, conditions that make us strongly demand the end of the colonial status of this sister island. The APC considers that it is a shame that in the 21st century there are still countries and territories under the colonial yoke,” it said.

The APC declared solidarity with Cuba amid the suffocating U.S. blockade, noting that the U.N. General Assembly would be meeting Wednesday to draft a new resolution to end the U.S. blockade against Cuba. They also condemned capitalism and its acts of repression towards union workers and social activists worldwide.

Cuban ambassador to the Dominican Republic Carlos Jesus de la Nuez praised the event, saying it was important to have a united Caribbean, thanking all participants for their support.

Representatives from all around the Caribbean and Latin America were in attendance including, Barbados, the Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Cuba, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti and Jamaica.

While Latin American ministers from Puerto Rico, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Mexico, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba attended the event.

The next Assembly of the Caribbean People will be held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2019, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the convention’s first meeting, also held on the island nation.

IMAGE: “We are facing a process of imperialist remilitarization of the Caribbean basin,” a statement from the group said. | Photo: Gobierno Bolivarian de Venezuela

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