Published at: 06/12/2023 09:00 PM

• “We are laying here the foundation stone of unity, South American independence. Only unity will set us free”
• “Enough of them putting us to fight... Between us there will be no wars or more conflicts, but integration, brotherhood, peace, union and understanding of the problems of each one, of each country, of each of our internal circumstances, and the same thing happens in Central America and the Caribbean.”
• One of the strengths of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is that despite the differences, “we are here to discuss and outline the path of true integration and to solve our serious problems.”
• “The Orinoco is from Brazil, just as the Amazon is from Venezuela. Either we are a single homeland or we will not be a homeland... it's time for Latin America and the Caribbean, let's build a geopolitical space, just as Bolívar's project was.”
• With these phrases, Commander Chávez concluded his historic speech at the creation of the Summit of Latin American and Caribbean States — CELAC.
• “CELAC must replace the OAS”: The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, proposed to replace the Organization of American States (OAS), which is already old and useless, alien to the interests of the countries that make up the Latin American region, and subservient to the offices of the United States.”
• He also proclaimed that, until recently, the slaves of Latin America and the Caribbean, are freeing themselves and denounced the manipulation of American monopolies, declaring himself an enemy of neoliberalism.
• The president of Cuba, Raúl Castro said: “For the first time we will have an organization of Our America.”
• This meeting of 33 leaders from countries across the region laid the foundations for CELAC.

Context:

This date coincided with the Bicentenary of the signing of the Act of Independence of most of the states in the region, symbolizing the necessary and true independence from Mexico to Patagonia.

Latin America and the Caribbean cover an area of 19.2 million square kilometers, where approximately 650 million inhabitants live together (twice the US population). Language barriers are few and historical, cultural, religious and ancestral ties are inexhaustible.

This area is home to what Simón Bolívar called “the cosmic race”, which is nothing other than the confluence of the three human streams (half indigenous America - Afro-American and European), which form a powerful river of wealth and unparalleled miscegenation called to change the course of history.

All this on a territory of incalculable resources, crossed by the largest rivers in the world.

Hugo Chávez's speech highlights Father Juan Vives Suriá's anti-imperialist phrase against predatory neoliberalism: “Another world is possible”... in the consolidated strength of all the CELAC States.

Mazo News Team