The 15th ALBA Political Council is taking place at a difficult time when unity, organization and solidarity are urgently needed, stated Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, this Monday, April 10, in Havana.
During the inauguration of the event, taking place today, Rodríguez Parrilla noted that the Council is a source of profound inspiration for the island, which is commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, founded by José Martí with the aim of achieving the country’s full independence and supporting efforts toward securing that of Puerto Rico’s.
The 14th Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) held in Caracas in March, ended with a powerful final declaration, which constitutes an action plan for the times Our America is currently experiencing, stated the Cuban Foreign Minister.
The declaration features the keys toward jointly combating the new imperialist agenda being waged against the region, as well as other threats which seek to reverse the achievements made by progressive governments.
Regarding Venezuela, Rodríguez Parrilla stated that there seem to exist two countries: the one of the people and the civic-military union and a nation which is a member of various international and regional organizations; and the other - a false and cruel image created by the Organization of American States, mass media and neoliberal oligarchies.
In addition to Venezuela, there are also other pressing issues to address, stated the Cuban official, such as supporting Ecuador and its Citizens’ Revolution, which won the country’s most recent presidential elections; and the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua.
I invite all participants to discuss these issues and share practical solutions in order to establish the Migrants Assistance Fund, which seeks to help compatriots at risk, stated Rodríguez Parrilla.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry’s website cited the Minister as saying that “The event in Havana must serve to continue strengthening unity and our capacity for regional coordination, as well as the integration process of Our America.”
The ALBA-TCP Political Council must also ratify the final declaration of the 14th ALBA-TCP Extraordinary Summit, held in Caracas last month, and reaffirm the commitment of member states to the principles outlined in the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, adopted by CELAC in January 2014.
From: Granma
(Embacuba Austria)