-in Barbados
THE CARIBBEAN Community shares the excitement of the historic honour conferred on the Brazilian city of Rio as venue for the 2016 Olymic Games.

Expressions of the Community’s delight in sharing Saturday’s momentous decision by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) have come from CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington, and Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo.

In a brief telephone interview yesterday , Carrington said: “The decision does credit to the IOC for showing even-handedness. For this was certainly the moment for South America, as Europe and North America have had their times, repeatedly..

“I have no doubt” he added, “that all the governments and peoples of CARICOM, and the wider Caribbean region, are quite joyful today that Rio has won the historic prize to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. This is a great moment for happiness in our Latin America-Caribbean region:.”

For his part, President Jagdeo, who is also current Chairman of CARICOM, lost no time in despatching a letter of congratulations to Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The Brazilian President, now one of the leaders of the expanded G-20 group of nations, had openly wept when Rio was announced as the venue of choice, defeating three other finalists–Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, the latter despite a last-minute support bid by President Barack Obama.

President Jagdeo told President Lula , whose country shares borders with Guyana, that the “victory won by Rio de Janeiro was much deserved by a city renowned for its natural beauty, the richness of its culture and the fullness of its energy…

The victory was also “much deserved”, said Jagdeo, “by a country that has demonstrated the limitless possibilities that can be achieved by strong and visionary leadership, and that has long championed the causes of the developing world…”

President Lula is scheduled to host next year the first-ever Brazil/CARICOM Summit as part of a new push to build stronger cooperation links with the 15-member Community.