Speech by Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, at the 11th Extraordinary Summit of the ALBA-TCP, from the Palace of the Revolution, on August 26, 2024, "Year 66 of the Revolution"
(Shorthand Versions - Presidency of the Republic)
Dear President and Brother Nicolás Maduro;
Dear Brothers;
Dear representatives of the nations that make up our Alliance;
Dear Jorge Arreaza, Executive Secretary of ALBA-TCP;
Finally, brothers from all of Our America:
First of all, in the name of Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, the Party, the Government and the People of Cuba, we reiterate the congratulations already expressed when the first results were announced to the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, our comrade Nicolás Maduro Moros, for the victory he achieved in the July 28th elections.
At this moment, once again, we are called to conscience and solidarity, because I believe that we are, and we share this idea, that we are very aware of the serious danger that the unified project that this Alliance represents is in, and also of the value of the declarations of solidarity that all of Our America owes to sister Venezuela -the undisputed leader of regional independence since the times of Bolivar and his libertarian campaigns- and which today is facing a crude and concerted campaign of discreditation that seeks to cover up another coup attempt.
They have tried so many times that it is no longer possible to hide their intentions behind the tired pretext of making the official election results transparent, practically before the time set for such a purpose, while on the other hand the uncivilized, violent, fascist attitude of a part of the opposition that refuses to accept anything that does not benefit them is taken for granted and not questioned.
The defiant attitude of these political groups, who warned that they would not accept any results other than those they had predicted, showed very early on, practically at the end of the polls, that a new phase of all previous failed attempts to overthrow a legitimate government through a combination of internal violence and foreign interference was on the horizon.
It is an absurd claim of those who try to consider valid results based on an electoral platform alien to legitimate power. This, if we accept it, would lead the electoral systems to inoperability. The parties cannot become the arbiters of a contest in which they are involved.
Cuba, our homeland, our people, recognizes and admires the serene response, the high sense of institutional democracy and the vocation for peace that President Nicolás Maduro and his team have shown in responding to these provocations, supported by popular mobilizations and by filing a controversial appeal before the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, under the protection of the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
A few hours ago, the Supreme Court of Justice, after an exhaustive review of the documents submitted by the National Electoral Council and the political parties that participated in the elections, issued an incontestable ruling, confirming the victory of President Nicolás Maduro in the elections held on July 28th of this year.
As expected, the same extremists who ignored the official results and disobeyed the order of the Supreme Court of Justice immediately unleashed their arsenal of deception against the final ruling, trying to deny the legitimacy of the convening power and, consequently, that of the Constitution.
The will of the majority must be respected. The Venezuelan people voted in good conscience for dignity, sovereignty and peace. And they have backed that vote with massive popular demonstrations in the streets throughout Venezuela, even if, as Maduro stated, these facts are being silenced or diminished by biased, openly pro-opposition reports in the Western media that serve the empire.
It is not the first time that U.S. imperialism and the regional and international oligarchies show rejection and contempt for the will of our peoples.
It is not the first time that they try to stop political processes that are contrary to their interests, because these processes favor the welfare of the peoples and the defense of national assets.
It is not possible to remain indifferent to a calculated articulation of regional oligarchies, imperialism, communication empires and digital platforms against Venezuela. Today against Venezuela, tomorrow against one of our countries and peoples.
Today there is an attempt to annul the powers of the State established in the Venezuelan Constitution, to replace them with parallel structures and with documents of dubious origin that are presented as legitimate.
Many of those who from abroad are taking advantage of the situation created in Venezuela for their political interests, which aggravate, promote and stimulate destabilization, are the same ones who, without evidence and clearly as an excuse to divert attention from their political failures, are trying to delegitimize the genuine popular movements in their countries with accusations of foreign interference.
What we are saying here is that, with absolute irresponsibility, the return to the plans of destabilization in Venezuela is being concertedly promoted, and we cannot allow that to happen in Our America. In Venezuela, the conflict is being resolved between visions of the world that are clearly in conflict. On the one hand, the emancipatory vision, ours, which defends the future and social justice for the benefit of all. On the other hand, there is the interest in preserving the system of injustices and hegemonies that the Bolivarian Revolution dared to confront.
I recall that on January 28, 2014, in Havana, all the heads of state and government of CELAC approved the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace. No imperial power or force financed by its hegemony will make us retreat from the responsibility of maintaining peace in the region, a vital cause for which we will always strive.
Comrades, sisters and brothers:
On July 10, 2024, we met at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the ALBA-TCP to denounce the attempted coup against the brotherly Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Today we meet again in these fateful circumstances to condemn the coup and the blatant external interference against the homeland of Bolivar, which is the homeland of all of us, and against the unity of Our America.
The 24th Summit that we will hold in Havana on December 14, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the founding of ALBA-TCP, and I take this opportunity to invite you all, will be a new opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the defense of peace and sovereignty in the face of the renewed Monroist attempts of the Empire to interfere in the internal affairs of our countries.
These are the times of unity and firmness in the face of imperialism and the oligarchies, which take advantage of the slightest opportunity to try against the triumph and stability of any popular oriented force, as well as to hinder the policies of social development and to destroy the dreams achieved in case they conquer power.
We denounce the continuation of the imperialist harassment, the external interference, the attack of the oligarchies, and the media and political manipulation to generate destabilization and to foment a coup and an attempt to overthrow the legitimate Bolivarian and Chavista government.
Cuba reiterates its strongest condemnation of the systematic aggression against Venezuela and rejects any attempt to incite violence and cloud the peace that its noble and brave people demand and need to face and heal the profound damage caused to their economy by the criminal policy of sanctions and blockades that the United States uses as its main weapon against nations that do not submit to its plans.
It is up to all of us to act with honesty and justice, in accordance with the principles of international law and the most elementary rules of coexistence. It is up to Venezuelans to settle and clarify what concerns them.
But we will not remain on the sidelines or silent in the face of the outrages and blatant interference of the empire, its cronies or those who prefer not to challenge the imperial line of action.
We stand, without a doubt, in solidarity with the fraternal Venezuelan people and with our comrade Nicolás Maduro.
We will always and unequivocally defend what the peaceful, honorable and beloved people of Venezuela, punished by unjust unilateral coercive measures and in the midst of very adverse circumstances, defend and support with their vote, have achieved with hard work and determination, the economic and social rebirth of the nation.
Unity is the basis and essence of the invincible strength of the peoples in the revolution. Cuba, which knows, respects and admires the civil-military, Bolivarian and Chavista unity of the Venezuelan people, trusts that with this strength the homeland of Bolivar, Chavez and Maduro will continue to demonstrate that it is proof against all threats and harassment.
Hasta la Victoria Siempre!
Thank you very much.