The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday admitted that he is concerned about the country’s reputation with the international community in the wake of criticisms that followed the repatriation of a group of Cubans.

However, Mr Christie insisted that the Bahamas yielded to existing treaties and procedures that he suggested helped shape the government’s decision to send the 24 Cubans home.

The move also came as Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell sternly defended the Bahamas’ reputation amid claims of abuse of Cuban detainees while at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.

Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Mitchell said that the situation could have been handled differently, but he pointed out that hindsight is always 20-20. He said he would always defend the country’s image.

Mr Christie said: “Yes I am always worried about that because it is an emotional subject.

“I have always said that the US understands the position of the Bahamas and that we have entered into treaties and understandings of how these matters are treated with both the government, Cuba, the government of the United States of America and other governments who are interested governments in the sense that they might offer asylum or a place of refuge for the Cubans.

“The United Nations who make an assessment they come in when the Cubans are here and make an assessment in terms of who is eligible for asylum, they so declared and the others are then to go back to Cuba by agreement or, alternatively, if there is another country who is offering them some kind of asylum.

“But I am satisfied and the Americans had a high level delegation out here recently. They know what the treaties are and they know what our relations are they themselves have similar sorts of understandings.”

Mr Christie added that he was saddened by how the matter had been relayed in the media, but he said that it is his hope to reach a conclusion soon.

“Cuban Americans have been led to believe that we as a country treated Cubans in the detention centre cruelly. I am hoping that we arrive very quickly at the final results of an investigation on it so that they can see that we are a country of laws, justice. They will see when justice is done,” Mr Christie said.