The Government of Jamaica has announced that further plans are underway to protect the welfare of Jamaican students in Cuba, who are currently encountering challenges due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in that country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith said the Government empathizes with the students who are part of the Jamaica-Cuba Bilateral Medical Scholarship Programme and other students studying there. She also extended her empathy to the Government and people of Cuba in these difficult circumstances.
Senator Smith says she is fully aware of the distress and anxiety among the Jamaican students in accessing certain basic supplies in Cuba. “Our Ambassador in Havana early last year obtained permission for the duty-free purchase of items for students, and I understand that 50 students took advantage of that opportunity,” she said.
Minister Smith said the efforts to further the requests of the parents were complicated by travel restrictions and reduced means of cargo transportation. She noted that they organized the shipment and the reception of donations from a group of parents in keeping with the limit of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) prescribed by the Cuban authorities.
She noted that the group consequently recognized a shipping company, retrieved the items from the Ministry, and ultimately sent a shipment of more than a thousand pounds over the prescribed limit, requiring significant application of the Ministry’s time and limited resources.
The Minister is reassuring the public that the Foreign Ministry is committed to improving the Government’s support to students in Cuba and indicated that alternative shipping arrangements are being explored.
Smith explained that while the Ministry is currently working on this case, tabs on the number of students in Cuba are being monitored. She reassured that they are working with public and private sector stakeholders to utilize the new procedures for the importation of food, medicine, and other essentials effective until December 31, 2021, announced by the Cuban authorities.
She advised that Embassy in Havana will update all students on the outcome of the discussions and will also work with student groups in the different provinces to create a needs list. The students are also encouraged to explore private use of this opportunity. The Ministry will be meeting with parents and other representative groups to determine the best way forward.
