Answering the question deferred to him by Florida Governor Jeb Bush during his visit to the Bahamas yesterday, US Ambassador John Rood said that the US is not entertaining the possibility of losing the two dentists to Cuba.
“We’re going to focus on a positive outcome. We really believe there will be a positive answer,” Mr Rood said.
The Bahamas has found itself in a difficult situation over the fate of the two Cuban dentists who are being held at the Detention Centre after being picked up by the US Coast
Guard in Bahamian waters more than 10 months ago: The two men, David Gonzalez Mejias and Marialys Darias Mesa, were caught in their attempt to leave Cuba by way of the “visa lottery” held annually by the US.
Although the men won their visas in the lottery; Cuban president Dr Fidel Castro reportedly would not let them leave the country because their medical training made them “too important to spare,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Immigration and Labour Minister Vincent Peet told The Tribune last week that both Cuba and the US want the men, and that the Bahamas has to review the matter thoroughly before making a decision.
During his first official visit to the New Providence yesterday, Governor Bush had a chance to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Perry Christie in a meeting at the Cabinet office.
Said Mr Christie of the meeting:
“With respect to the Cuban detainees. We’ve had frank discussions on the challenges ahead. The governor reinforced what we know to be a strong relationship between the USA and the government of the Bahamas – that already manifests itself in the sharing of American resources assisting us to protect the territory and integrity of the Bahamas and any concerns associated with that,” he said.
The prime minister said that both parties have in respect to “the way forward matters of immigration and detainees” agreed on establishing “a better and stronger relationship which will enable us to make decisions much more quickly to the benefit of both countries.”
“The governor left the expectation on the table that the Bahamas government would address aggressively this concern of the continued detention of the two detainees and he has the assurance from – us that as we speak we are in the process of trying to bring the matter, hopefully, to a conclusion in the best interest of all concerned and consistent with the national interest of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” he said.
At a press conference held later in the day at the Ministry of Education, The Tribune asked Mr Bush how the US would react if ﾠthe Bahamas decides to return the two dentists to Cuba.
The governor declined to answer to the question, deferring it to Ambassador Rood.
“The governor had a very great discussion with the prime minister expressing what he has heard from the families (of the dentists) in the States. I shared my thoughts and the prime minister shared his thoughts, and we heard his statement, and he is confident that we’re gonna have a solution that is satisfactory to all,” he said.
Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Clubs luncheon at the British Colonial Hilton yesterday, Governor Bush said that it is important that the Bahamas and Florida do not take their close relationship for granted.
“Let’s face it what does Cuba have to offer the Bahamas? Democracy, rule of law – which is your hallmark, a growing economy, what do they offer? Perhaps sending their enslaved people to a free country. It’s shameful.
“I frankly think that there are tremendous opportunities to enhance the relationship (between the US and the Bahamas) and thereby eliminate any worries about new relationships,” the governor said.
Source: ﾠThe Tribune – Nassau, Bahamas
