Obama promises Caribbean total debt write-off if elected next US
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
WASHINGTON, CMC – Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack
Obama, is promising 100 per cent debt relief for the Caribbean if he
becomes the next leader of the United States.
While Obama himself did not reveal that plan for the region, his
foreign policy advisor, Dan Restrepo, told the government and tourism
officials attending the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)
conference here that this is one of the policies to be pursued by
Obama if elected to office.
"As you all well know the poorest countries in the world, including
some in the Caribbean, suffer under the weight of enormous external
debt. Barack Obama wants to see a 100 per cent debt cancellation for
the world's heavily indebted poor countries, including all such
countries in the
Caribbean," he said.
Restrepo also spoke about Obama's intention to facilitate trade
between the US and Cuba, saying that the Democrat would personally
lead direct diplomacy with Cuban officials.
He said the presidential candidate has also been keeping a close eye
on developments in Haiti where recent food riots led to the deaths of
seven people and the ousting of the country's prime minister.
"Barack Obama believes we need to provide food assistance, in the
short term, to prevent hunger and stave off additional political
instability. But he also believes we must help improve Haiti's
economic
prospects over the long term," Restrepo said.
"As he has said, it is time to invest in the economic development that
must underpin the security that the Haitian people lack, but it is
also time to press Haiti's leaders to bridge the divides between them
for the common good of the Haitian people."
Restrepo said that Obama also understood the unique security
challenges of the Caribbean and that the issue of trans-national crime
is of great importance to the region.
He has therefore promised to restore funding for drug control
programmes, which where cut by the George W. Bush administration and
to put an end to the illegal gun trade in the south.
"As we all know, the Caribbean forms our third border. For our mutual
benefit we must more effectively confront the trans-national criminal
networks that fuel insecurity and fear in the United States and in the
Caribbean," he said.
"Barack Obama understands that dealing with the effects of trans-
national crime is a priority for governments throughout the region. He
stands ready to work in partnership with them to effectively disrupt
illicit networks. To do so we need a new hemisphere security
approach."
The Democratic nominee has contended that the US and the Caribbean
face a wide variety of challenges which they can both conquer through
partnership.
message received from Jean H.Marcelin
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Posted by Jean H.marcelin on 7/3/08 12:55 AM
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