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We start with former Prime Minister Said Musa. He is a long time disciple of Castrism - going back to the 1970's. And when he became Prime Minister in 1998, the second major state visit of his administration was to Cuba. It happened in February of 1999 and was the single largest delegation ever of Belizean ministers and high-level government functionaries. It included, no fewer than 6 ministers, and countless CEO's, hangers-on and business persons - even Michael Ashcroft, who pulled up the party on his yacht. Yesterday, Musa told us why it was a priority to go to Cuba:...

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"1998, everything has fallen away, you assumed office as prime minister. The first state trip that you organized probably in February of 1999 is to Cuba. Speak about why was that a priority for your government, as soon as it assumed office in 1998 to lets go to Cuba?"

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"I know largely as show of gratitude to Cuba for the support they have given us for the Independence and because now we were free to show that gratitude and also knowing full well that Cuba was prepared to signed with us a bilateral agreement for training hundreds, if not thousands of Belizeans in Cuba. No other nation was offering this you know. Not only that, but they offered at that time too, once we have an agreement in place, setting out all the terms and the conditions, for Cuban doctors and nurses to come to Belize."

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"On that trip to Cuba, you bestowed a special honor upon Fidel Castro."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Dr. Fidel Castro, yes."

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Explain to me what was the ideation behind that?"

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Well we felt and I think I had the full support of the entire cabinet that the example that Cuba had set for us in terms of the independence struggle and in terms of the sovereignty and in terms of the statue of this great man, Fidel Castro, that he deserved to get the order of Belize. He said to me "Said, you have to get the order too." That's the system. I said no, please. That would create problems for me, why don't you give it to Mr. Price and so it was that later in 2005 he confer the order of Jose Marti on the Rt. Hon. George Price."