Cuba calls to preserve the peace of Latin America and the Caribbean

Members of the International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of Cuba call on Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States (USA) to act in a timely manner, in favor of preserving peace in the region, as approved in January 2014, by the heads of State and Government at the Celac Summit, held in Havana.

Through a statement, the legislators demand to stop the threats and criminal intentions of the current White House administration, which “under the pretext of waging a fight against drug trafficking,” hides the true purpose of provoking the overthrow of the Constitutional President, Nicolás Maduro, and seizing Venezuela’s valuable natural resources.

They denounced, in the document, the disproportionate and aggressive deployment of US military forces in Caribbean waters, by perpetrating attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, leaving a balance of more than 80 people dead, events that qualify as extrajudicial executions and constitute a flagrant violation of International Law.

Below is the full text of the statement:

Urgent call to preserve peace

Call from the International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People’s Power

The members of the International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba call on the citizens of Latin America and the Caribbean, and of the United States, to act timely and decisively in favor of preserving our region as a Zone of Peace, as approved and proclaimed by the heads of State and Government at the Celac Summit, held in Havana in January 2014.

We support the message of the President of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino), which denounces the disproportionate and aggressive deployment of naval and air assets, including a nuclear submarine, and the high number of US troops present in the Caribbean Sea.

We have the duty and the right to defend the peace and life of our people. There are already dozens of people killed by the attacks perpetrated by United States forces against vessels in the area, events that qualify as extrajudicial executions and constitute a flagrant violation of International Law.

Let us raise the voices of legislators from our region and the world to stop the threats and criminal intentions of the current White House administration that, under the pretext of waging a fight against drug trafficking, hides the true purpose of causing the overthrow of the constitutional government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and taking over the valuable natural resources of that country.

The militarization in the Caribbean for several weeks constitutes an act of gross interference by the United States government. Its implementation expresses the philosophy of imperial domination based on the Monroe Doctrine, which exceeds two centuries and is the basis of its interventionist efforts in the American continent.

Threats include attempts to cross the borders of sovereign states and use the territory of third countries. Washington’s most recent aggressive act was the arbitrary and immoral decision to close Venezuelan airspace. In this regard, we support the timely condemnation made by the Cuban Foreign Minister, who described the event as a very serious threat and an increase in the escalation of military aggression and psychological war against the Venezuelan people and government.