Congressman Charles B. Rangel yesterday received the distinguished Order of Jamaica for his outstanding contribution in promoting the interests of Jamaica and the Caribbean.  The award was announced at the National Heroes Day ceremony in Kingston by the Bruce Golding administration.

"I am honored to receive such an award, especially since it is normally presented to a Jamaican citizen.  I have worked for 40 years in the Congress to be a friend of the Caribbean, and it is a good feeling to be acknowledged for this work," Rangel said.

From his earliest days in the U.S. Congress, Congressman Rangel has been a friend to the Caribbean.  He assisted Michael Manley, then-Prime Minister of Jamaica, in influencing U.S. policy away from retaliation after Manley demanded a fair return from U.S. companies mining bauxite in Jamaica. He has fought for the resources Caribbean nations need to combat narcotics and drug-related crimes, and since 1982, he pushed for the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), which promotes closer trade and commercial relationships between the U.S. and the nations of the Caribbean.

Most recently, in 2006 and 2008, Congressman Rangel displayed his leadership in pushing the HOPE II bill, providing trade preferences for the struggling Caribbean nation of Haiti.

The Order of Jamaica is the fourth of the five ranks in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969 and is considered the equivalent of knighthood in the British honours system. Honorary membership in the Order can be conferred to any distinguishing citizen of a country other than Jamaica.

■