Barbados’ Ambassador to Cuba Presents Credentials To President

Barbados’ Ambassador to Cuba, Dr. Sharon Marshall, presented her credentials to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermúdez on Tuesday, June 11, at the Palacio de la Revolución.

This presentation of credentials was the culmination of Dr. Marshall’s accreditation process, which began on April 29, 2024, when she presented Style Copies to Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Josefina Vidal, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The presentation was part of a red carpet ceremony, where the flags of Barbados and Cuba were displayed; a band played the national anthems of the two nations and a guard of honour performed an official salute.

Ambassador Marshall expressed appreciation for her new ambassadorial assignment, stating: “I am honoured to have been asked to carry on the sterling work of my predecessors here in continually strengthening the friendly relations between Barbados and Cuba. It is also an honour to have been asked to serve in a country where my roots are.”

President Diaz-Canel emphasised that the relations between Barbados and other CARICOM countries are historic and very close.

He reiterated the need to continue work on implementing the agreements reached at the Eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit, which took place in Barbados in December 2022.

Following the presentation ceremony, Ambassador Marshall placed a floral tribute to Cuban national hero José Martí at the monument commemorating him in the Plaza de la Revolución.

The President was accompanied at the presentation ceremony by Interim Minister of Foreign Relations, Gerardo Peñalver, and Ambassador Marshall was accompanied by her husband, Pedro Hope Jústiz, and Attaché at Barbados’ Havana Mission, Michelle Gibbons.

Dr. Marshall has conducted extensive research on the subject of the historical migration between Barbados and Cuba.

She has presented academic papers and lectured and written articles on various aspects of the topic. She is the author of Tell My Mother I Gone to Cuba: Stories of Early Twentieth-Century Migration from Barbados and A Return to Roots: “CuBajans” in Barbados.

Ambassador Marshall succeeds Philip St. Hill, who has retired from the Barbados Public Service.