Twelve years ago, Latin America and the Caribbean were declared a Zone of Peace, a date commemorated this January 29th. This declaration serves as a reminder of the great commitment, now and always, to defend this achievement, for our present and for the future of a region that we cannot allow the Yankee empire to turn into its backyard.
In the Cuban capital, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz announced to the world one of the most important agreements adopted by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) at its 2nd Summit: the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, a document signed by 33 heads of state from the region.
Perhaps today is the most important moment for all the peoples of the continent to act together, in order to preserve this great achievement, and not allow an arrogant and fundamentalist President to create divisions with criminal and terrorist actions, such as the one carried out against Venezuela on January 3rd.
A sovereign country was attacked, a noble people who have set out to create their own future, with the banner of Latin American peace and unity as their strength.
The empire, and those who sustain it with hatred and crime, know that a united Latin America and the Caribbean are the true bulwark and path to victory against those who contaminate the region with weapons of war and death, whose fundamental mission is to seize oil resources and other natural wealth that could be used to improve the standard of living of its people, to meet their needs for food, health, education, and employment.
The signing of the Agreement commits the governments and peoples to the pursuit of peaceful solutions to disputes and—very importantly—to eliminating the use or threat of force in the region.
Likewise, it established the obligation not to intervene, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs of any other State, as well as to respect the principles of national sovereignty, equality, and self-determination.
An aspect of singular importance is the commitment of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to fully respect the inalienable right of every State to choose its political, economic, social, and cultural system, as an essential condition for ensuring peaceful coexistence among nations.
Our Latin American and Caribbean peoples are the guardians of this commitment, and they must not allow the fury of an imperial government, using economic and trade sanctions or terrorism and war, violating all national and international laws, to attack any country, murder its children, kidnap a democratically elected leader and a woman, a member of parliament and fighter for peace, and imprison them, trampling on the most basic principles of International Law.
It is up to the people to protect and defend this proclamation of a Zone of Peace, so as not to allow any further breaches or criminal military attacks against their countries.
