(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) As Guyana prepares to celebrate its Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Independence on Thursday 26 May, 2016, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said that the country could be “justly proud of its achievements and progress over the five decades of Independence.”
In a congratulatory message to President of Guyana, His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, the Secretary-General pointed out that the path trodden over the half century of endeavour had seen Guyana transformed through its determination to fulfill the vast potential of its human and natural resources.
“This steadfast commitment has been bolstered by the resilience and fortitude of the people of Guyana who embraced eagerly the task of building a nation,” Ambassador LaRocque said.
The Secretary-General also referred to Guyana’s role in the Community, and singled out the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) which was conceived by, and inaugurated in Guyana.
“As one of the original signatories to the Treaty of Chaguaramas, and as the headquarters of the Caribbean Community and its Secretariat, Guyana has demonstrated leadership and foresight in advancing and promoting regional integration. A most significant contribution in this regard is the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA) which was conceived by and inaugurated in Guyana. It continues to serve the worthy goal of strengthening the bonds between the people of the Community, an essential ingredient of the integration process. The work and talents of Guyana’s artists, scholars, writers and sportsmen have adorned the regional and global landscape,” Ambassador LaRocque noted.
In his message also, the Secretary-General said that the theme of the Golden Jubilee `Celebrate; Reflect; Inspire’ provided the people of Guyana with ample scope to rejoice on this “landmark occasion, to weigh this formative period of the Nation’s history and to draw its lessons and appreciate its achievements, and to kindle the motivation to strive towards greater progress in the future.”
