President Comandante Daniel and Vice President Rosario Murillo meet with Members of the ALBA Political Council
November 14th 2019
President Comandante Daniel Ortega
Dear Nicaraguan Brothers and Sisters; beloved Families, on your behalf we tell the Sisters, Compañer@s, Representatives of Peoples who fight for the Unity, for the Integration of Our Latin American and Caribbean America, we say welcome and we tell you that we are a single fist in this great battle that we have been fighting for centuries, and that we will continue to fight, certaint that Victory belongs to our Peoples.
Dear Brother Jorge Arreaza, Chancellor of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and to say Venezuela is immediately to say Bolívar, saying Chávez, is to say Nicolás, active in the Battle for Peace, for Sovereignty, for Justice.
Rander Peña, Vice-Minister for Latin America, also of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Raul Li Causi, Vice-Minister for the Caribbean; David Mariño, Secretary of ALBA, and our Dear Venezuelan-Nicaraguan Brother, Javier Arrúe, Ambassador of the Sister Republic of Venezuela. Here also, I believe, are Arlenin Aguillón, from the Venezuelan Embassy; Gustavo Díaz, from the Venezuelan Embassy; Jorge Álvarez, and the last will be the first, Alexander Yánez, Vice-Minister of Multilateral Affairs.
From Bolivia we are accompanied on behalf of our Brother Evo Morales of the Heroic Bolivian People, of those courageous fighters, in whose veins courses the Blood and in whose Heart is always powerful the Identity of the Original Peoples, Dear Brother Diego Pary Rodríguez, Chancellor, and Estefanía Morales Laura, Vice-Minister of Justice.
From Cuba, the Cuba of Martí, of Fidel, of Raúl, of Miguel Díaz-Canel, are Ana Teresita González Fraga, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs; Juan Carlos Hernández, Dear Ambassador; Pedro Pablo Prada, Director for South America; Mirta Granda Averhoff, Director of Multilateral Political Affairs.
From Antigua and Barbuda, we greet the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, and offer our greetings to Brother Gaston Browne, here represented by Brother Antonio Liverpool, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From Dominica, representing that brave, People in struggle, and their Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, our Brother Ambrose George, Delegate of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. And from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, representing the Prime Minister, our Brother Ralph Gonsalves, Comrade Andreas Wickham, who is Ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Notice, speaking in terms of territory and population, that Venezuela is the country with the most Territory, with the most Population; then there is Bolivia, in Territory, in Population as well. In extension Bolivia is bigger than Venezuela still... How many square kilometers? More than a million square kilometers, maybe a bit less, around 900 perhaps almost a million. They are two Nations with an enormous Territory, with a lot of Population, and with a long History of Struggle.
Then we here are like ants, but ants are capable of carrying out gigantic works; one see that they can carry loads weighing 100 times more than they do. We are small Countries in Territory, in Population, but big in Conscience, in Dignity and in Patriotism, and we are accustomed to face monsters. Yes, since the arrival of the Conquistadors we have faced monsters.
Throughout our Region, then, both on its continental territory and on its islands, the struggle for Self-Determination, for Sovereignty, for Dignity, for Justice, for Freedom continues confronting the monster, the monster of Expansionism that in times past, in those times, managed to take control of entire continents. The monsters came to own all of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean... They became owners, in whose name? In whose name? Who gave them that Right? Who told them they were owners of all that Territory, and of however much Wealth, however manyResources and however many Populations they found in their path? Who gave them that Right? They did so in the Name of God! That is, using the Name of God in vain, manipulating God, manipulating Christ.
That is how they subjugated our Peoples, robbing our Ancestors of their lands, robbing them of their Natural Resources, turning them into slaves, and the Indigenous Population exterminating them, because they did not resist the whip of slavery? They exterminated them!
But the Peoples always resisting, always battling, always fighting. And in those lands of Evo, Túpac Katari, and before Túpac Amaru, were torn to pieces, dismembered by the Conquerors, in the name of Christ, mind, in the Name of Christ, the Conquerors who came representing the Monarchies... Look how democratic!
Who elects the Monarchies? How many votes, then, in those times and in these Times also, to elect a Monarch? How many votes? But still in these times and there are Monarchs who speak in the name of Democracy and who want to give lessons in Democracy. Monarchical systems that are present in different zones of the Planet.
Who elected them? When did they elect them? Oh no, God put them there, they say! Ah, but if God has placed them, if Christ has placed them, they would have to walk like Christ, live like Christ. Christ never disguised Himself as Monarch to reign. He reigned with his Poverty, he reigned with his Resignation, he reigned with his Spiritual Strength. We never saw Christ with a chingorro. We never saw Christ with a headress, no! Christ was never going to put on a headress or a Crown! What the imperialists of the moment did was put a crown of thorns on him. That is Christ, the True King of Kings, the True Monarch, Spiritual Monarch, full of Love for Humanity and for the People.
And the struggle for Independence, how much pain, how much blood flowed in the struggle for Independence by the Peoples who were colonized in Africa, Asia, America. The colonialists defending their Power to exploit and keep the Peoples submissive, and the Peoples defending their essential Right to be free, as they were, because these Peoples had no owners before the colonialists arrived.
The colonialists became owners with blood and fire. By manipulating God, by manipulating Christ, they committed a sacrilege where accounts are sometimes made of the millions of Human Beings who died in the First World War, which was the confrontation between the same capitalists, within the same expansionists disputing the dominion of the Planet; but they left many more dead in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in the Caribbean, they left many more dead there.
What practice more brutal and cruel than Slavery, and they think we have already forgotten it, because they speak with such cynicism trying appear as if they were angels preaching the Gospel and teaching us to behave well. They, the greatest murderers in history, are going to teach us to behave well... Their role is to continue trying to dominate the World, a World that is more rebellious every day, People that are more rebellious every day, Nations that are more independent every day.
This is what Bolivia had done, it had managed to gain independence, it had succeeded in rescuing the Dignity of the Original Peoples. But Expansionism, the Imperialisms of the Earth, the Imperialists of the Earth, yes, Imperialists of the Earth, have not given up their appetite for domination and they do everything possible to prevent a People from obtaining Victories.
And how much it cost that Bolivian People to finally achieve a Victory that would vindicate the Original Peoples, and with it, vindicate and fill with Pride all Latin Americans and Caribbeans, because the Victory of Evo and the Victory of Bolivia’s People was a Victory of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples, and of the Peoples of the World.
And how well Evo was doing! Valuable resources such as gas, which were in the hands of exploiters, were nationalized by Evo, and that allowed Bolivia to have resources to develop in the fight against poverty and bring prosperity to the people of Bolivia, without discriminating between those who were and continue to be racist, they were benefited by the government of Evo, but above all the Original Peoples.
That is what the Empire does not like, that is what the Capitalists dislike, for Wealth to be distributed with Justice, they want the Wealth for themselves, and that is what inspires hatred and conspires to do away with truly democratic governments. Because Democracy is not simply voting, Democracy is ensuring Health, Work, Education, to Working People. Eradicating Poverty, that is Democracy!
But dealing with numbers, ah, numbers... growth, a great deal of wealth, they speak of thousands of billions of billions in the Developed Countries, in the United States itself, while in those same Developed Countries there is Poverty, there is Misery while the Wealth is concentrated among a few; therefore there is no Justice, no Democracy, twhat there is, is the tyranny of Capital, of the exploiters.
Of course, they have managed to build a real stronghold throughout the centuries causing the world’s Peoples have a lot of blood, a lot of pain, they have even tried to kill Joya and Hope among the Peoples, so that they will docilely submit to the domination of the exploiters, the modern version of the slave traders.
In spite of that, yes, the Peoples have forced their way in and they have defeated whole Empires. But then the Empires that are present in everything to do with the power of Global Capitalism, standing together in a military entity, they are well organized, well articulated. They comprise an economic power, a military power, and seek also to monopolize Knowledge, Science, Technology, not to serve Humanity, but to serve themselves, so they become richer every day.
In these complex conditions the world’s Peoples have managed to achieve great Victories, and in these Times what greater Victory, in the 20th Century, in January 1959, on the First of January, Fidel Triumphs, the Cuban Revolution Triumphs. 60 Years ago now, and with all the Blockade, the repeated aggressions, the Cuban Revolution remains an Example of Solidarity, Example of Loving your Neighbor, not only neighbors present here, but around the World; an example of Solidarity around the World, of Solidarity with the Peoples of other Continents. And in spite of the brutal blockade, the Cuban People continues to express Solidarity, Solidarity with Our America in the first place, and Solidarity with the Peoples of the World, as we all know very well.
Then, opening up fresh Paths, opening up new Routes with Commander Hugo Chávez in a new stage; because the stage we lived through in the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution was an explosion of Joy, of Hope, of Struggle for all of Latin America and the Caribbean. But when the Cuban Revolution triumphed, when it looked like no Revolution in Latin America would ever triumph again, because the United States had already learned how to counteract the Revolutions, then 20 Years later, on a July 19th, the Sandinista Revolution triumphed in Nicaragua. And 20 years later, no longer by force of arms, but through votes, the Bolivarian Revolution triumphed led by Comandante Hugo Chávez.
Think about that, because who could have imagined that countries like Cuba so small, small in territory, small in population, would be the first to deal the great blow to the Empire, just a few miles, right there, a few miles from the Empire? And then Nicaragua, also quite close to the Empire, a small country with much less population than Cuba still, who could have imagined that the Sandinista Popular Revolution would triumph here?
And then Venezuela... Of course, Venezuela was already a major player, as they say, because Venezuela is a Power in Latin America, well, Brazil is a Power, Argentina is a Power, Venezuela is a Power, Mexico is a Power; but in Venezuela came the First Revolution following the path that Salvador Allende had already tried and been overthrown, Chávez took that path and reached Victory 20 years after the Triumph of the Sandinista Revolution.
Then came the Coup... what is happening with Evo is nothing new! The Coup against Chávez came and, of course, the Force of the People was decisive, but also decisive was the fact that Chávez came from the Army and was a Soldier, so, as a Son of Bolívar Chávez was a Force in the Venezuelan Army, as if to give him the greatest assurance that this Army, even in the most dire conditions of the Coup, where the treacherous leadership were ready to assassinate him, then the People united with the Army rescued Chávez. Something not achieved in Chile, because there the Army was one tailored to the interests of the Empire, formed by the Empire.
And with what is happening in Bolivia, it is clear that, no matter how strong Evo is, or the Social Movements, or the Original Peopleso movements, with all the combativeness they have shown in these days, the Army and the Police are decisive in tilting the balance in favor of Capital and the Empire, or else in favor of the People. They are decisive in situations like this.
The other thing is to go back, and this brings us back to a very old discussion, indeed, the discussion that took place when we were in the Struggle in Latin America when we had opted for the Latin American Revolutionary Forces, most of us had opted to take the same route, that of Armed Struggle. Such that, by going through Armed Struggle we made sure of the emergence of an Army and Armed Forces of Revolutionary Roots, of Popular Roots.
That was a debate: Will it be possible to arrive in power via the Electoral way? Will it be possible to achieve! Will it be possible to sustain a Government that arrived through elections, if it does not have the Respect, the support of an Army with Dignity, with a sense of Patriotism?
So, Evo really did a feat, having managed to govern for 13 years, having achieved economic growth, because in the economic indices in Latin America and the Caribbean we were 3 countries that appeared at the bottom of the barrel: Haiti, Nicaragua and Bolivia, the most impoverished. But, on the other hand, in the economic indicators of international bodies, when they spoke of our Countries... There is economic growth! And there are still some here in Nicaragua who feel courageous enough to say that there has never been such good economic growth as there was in the Somoza era, with 60% illiteracy!
Economic growth committing the crime of keeping the People in Illiteracy, without Education, without Health, and with Infant Mortality out of control. Ah, but they only measure numbers, and since they are supported by the Empire, armed by the Empire, trained by the Empire, financed by the Empire, then they last a long time and it is difficult to overthrow those governments via Armed Revolution? And at what cost!
People should take a good look at what the Imperialists of the Earth are doing in Bolivia, and the signal they are giving to Latin America, because we have opted for the Electoral route. But I believe Bolivia is a litmus test on whether minimum confidence in the Electoral route can be maintained; otherwise, the world’s Peoples will feel entirey justified, obliged to take up arms and take power via the Revolutionary route.
Let those who are playing with fire think hard about that! Let them think it through! Because they are playing with fire, treally hey are playing with fire! What is happening in Bolivia right now is incredible, incredible, but true as they say. But well, this is incredibly disturbing, and unfortunately true.
In other words, a trap set by the very Body created precisely to put into practice the Monroe Doctrine. A trick, a well laid trap, and Evo and all his Comrades with every confidence, understandably because the route they took and have continued to take the Electoral route.
So, first a well laid trap and then the Coup is unleashed. I was listening to Pary yesterday explaining how the Coup was unleashed. That was not improvised at all! That had nothing to do with the tale that the People rose up spontaneously. All this was planned, financed, organized, directed, by whom? By those who always direct these things, by the United States.
And those who lead these operations are not the big American capitalists... No! It is their servants, their employees who take charge of these Operations, so as to maintain the strength of the Military Industrial complex, of Economic Power, to guarantee the possibility of taking control of all the wealth of the World, and there they are looking everywhere for where next to pounce.
And what do we have at the moment? What is the latest thing we have been following on TELESUR? The meetings in Congress, the meetings in Congress were held, that is Legitimate, the Congress is legitimate, although they were not allowed to hold session, they did not let the elected Congress old session. Congress and the Senate were not allowed to session, why? Because the majority there represents the Bolivian People, the Original Peoples, the Workers, the Peasants, and it is to that very Congress, to that Senate to which legitimacy corresponded, after the coup leadrs issued a military threat to Evo, in effect a death threat.
And we must recognize this, thanks to the Brothers who were involved, the Nations involved in this effort, the Leaders who were involved in this effort, in particular the Government of Mexico and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador; the President-Elect of Argentina was also fully involved contributing to saving Evo's life. Because the coup leaders were going for him, there was already an order to assassinate him, and in this way to try and demoralize, demobilize the Bolivian People. But Evo's life was saved, and he does not hesitate to continue defending his Ideals, his Principles, his Commitment to the People.
What a situation! On the one hand, four Congress members yesterday, or maybe there were a dozen Congress members, who did not even make half of the Quorum, nor even the third part of the Quorum, in a totally illegal way they appointed a President. We now have two presidents unelected by the votes of their People, and in this case not even elected by the votes of Congress.
But well, Evo was forced to resign or face the ultimatum of murder, and what is the corresponding action to take? It was for Congress, the Senate, with a majority, to receive Evo's Resignation, and to decide whether to accept it or not. That’s the first point. And surely they were not going to accept it. So, by not accepting it, if the Law were respected even a little bit in Bolivia, at that moment we would then have to seek the conditions for Evo to return to hs country, and by returning to his country, resume his Position, as the person responsible for the process to be complied with for Elections to be carried out.
Because it is very clear that this whole maneuver was mounted simply to crush, annul and erase an Electoral Victory Comrade Evo Morales had already achieved. He won that election, and they stole it! And since he was not going to calmly accept that robbery, aimed at stealing from the Bolivian people, then the weapons appear, the rifles, the artillery, the tanks, in whose hands? In the hands of an Army where no doubt there may good men, noble men, brave men, but where the leadership is totally surrendered, sold out to the Empire, and they decided the matter, putting a rifle to Evo's head.
I don't know how the de facto president is going to cope now with the Senate, because the Senate has already met and is making decisions, and will make decisions tomorrow that will no doubt contradict what the coup’s female president is doing. But well, that's as far as we go, because we work on the Principle that each People has to decide its own Way, has to decide its own Future, and we are respectful of the decisions taken by the Bolivian People and taken by Brother Evo and taken by his fellow leaders.
Because we understand perfectly well, that comparisons cannot be made between different Processes, and what we are obliged to do is to defend our Peoples, and in this case, well, to unite our Peoples more and more, and the Governments that are in ALBA. And let those who are promoting these waves of terror in Latin America think hard about what they are doing!
The ideal path is the one that was being follwed, the Electoral path, even knowing that this path would not be respected by the Imperialists of the Earth. As I already said, Chavez follwoed the electoral path, and faced a coup! Nicolás, in May of last year he got those many millions of votes, and then he faced a coup! And Evo now with... a coup!
Foe its part, Cuba has a Model that, in the first place, is sustained in a very high degree of Consciousness, of Conviction, and being able to recognize and value the conquests of the Cuban Revolution. That is why the Cuban People is so united and have known how to resist all kinds of aggressions. It is resisting and will continue to emerge victorious in the face of the aggressions it is suffering. We are sure of that.
Similarly, Venezuela, subjected to aggression, where an entire people is being tortured, in violation of the human rights of an entire people. In Cuba, in Venezuela, here in Nicaragua, when these aggressions are sanctioned, when they are applied, the human rights of an entire people are violated; when this type of aggression is applied anywhere in the world, the human rights of an entire people are violated. That is the truth.
And Venezuela is subjected to a real butchery! But it's unbelievable! Unbelievable! Unbelievable that we have 50 countries there recognizing the ghost president, 50 countries recognizing a ghost! They don't realize that they are making a fool of themselves by recognizing the ghost. Yes, it's incredible! Meanwhile, they are also threatening TIAR, a weapon that they have ready to launch themselves with even greater violence, even greater force against our Peoples, when our Peoples resist.
But, we have the Conviction, we have the Trust, we have the Faith, yes, the Faith that Bolívar left us. Ah, Bolívar! How many battles the battles of Bolívar! How many defeats for the battles of Bolívar! Anybody would have said: already it’s destroyed, it’s crushed, forget about Independence. And from the ashes, because it was in the Soul of the People, Bolivar rose up again, and in that way he liberated America and contributed to the liberation of the entire Latin American and Caribbean region.
Because the battles fought in South America led by Bolívar and the battles fought in Mexico led by Hidalgo and Morelos were decisive. They were, let's say, the leading centers of the Empire, and those battles were decisive, for what? So that here in Central America Independence would be in practice be permitted. There were some acts of rebellion, some crimes committed by the colonizers, persecutions, imprisonments, but it did not have the violence that it had to the South and to the North.
And Sandino, what can one say...! That explains the Poem that says he's crazy, because whowould have thought of bringing together 29 Peasants, Workers, gathering them, 30 with him, and say to them: Well, they have betrayed us here, they have sold out the Homeland, and the Yankee troops are occupying Nicaragua. And Sandino says: I’m not for sale, I ‘m not surrendering! Who will accompany me? 29, and 30 with him, mind, facing the Empire. That's why Gabriela Mistral called him: "The Little Crazy Army". Facing the Empire! Take a good look at that, where so much Strength, so much Energy comes from.
And Sandino was inspired by Bolivar. Sandino wrote up in the mountains "Bolívar's Supreme Dream"; seeing even then, Sandino, what would eventually be the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, at least in its foundational historical moment. Because now the challenge is to unite efforts, to unite our willpower, independently of political and ideological positions, because really the Future of our Peoples depends on Unity. Therein lies our strength, and therein lies our capacity to achieve Victory for Our Latin American and Caribbean America.
We have been in touch with Evo, we have had some communications by phone; first on the day of his electoral Victory, we spoke with him, we knew he was worried because the conspiracy was already afoot, he saw it, it was palpable. And then, we have also been in touch now he is in Mexico, and he is always very firm, very brave, very committed, committed to his People, and committed to our People, because he feels part of the struggle of the Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. And Evo, for sure, certain Evo, that the Victory will be of the Bolivian People; and therefore too it will be a Victory of the Peoples of ALBA, therefore, it will bea Victory for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Long live Bolivia!
Long live Evo!
Declarations by Rosario, Vice President of Nicaragua, after the Meeting with the Political Council of ALBA-TCP
November 14, 2019
How much Pride in this Great, Victorious land, where we all know we are advancing, by Grace and with the Grace of God! How much Pride to be part of ALBA, the Dawn that ceased to be a temptation, as Tomás said! How much Pride to receive here our Companions of the Dawn, of the Peoples on the march, of fearless Peoples, of Peoples who do not think twice, of Peoples who are not intimidated, because we do not let ourselves be intimidated. Of our Peoples that fight to overcome, fight to defend Peace and Goodness, every day, defending our Cultures, our Models, our ways of being, and of living!
How much Pride to gather up in this Nicaragua of Darío, Sandino and the Heroic, Great and Glorious Nicaraguan People!
We are privileged...! Our Peoples who fight with Consciousness of our Potential and our Victories, we are privileged ! We know that it is indispensable to win... And we are winning! We are winning with enormous Courage and before each new circumstance we are innovating, we are creating. Because if we there’s one thing we have, it is the ability to discern and to see where there may be traps and so never fall into the traps of the Empire and its agents.
Here We Go Forward, Always to the Beyond, as Sandino said. Here, no one gives up! Here we have learned to work, to keep going, and from the immense Spirit that characterizes us, to continue fighting, to overcome!
We are truly moved, proud to be here with so many Compañeros and Compañeras who represent Heroism, because to live with Hope you have to be Heroic every day. Hope is Heroic, Hope is Sublime, and we are filled with Heroism because we are filled with Hope and Certainty.
And I reiterate, I repeat... We are not intimidated! I reiterate, I repeat, as a People of Faith.
We know that God is Just and that God is Good, beyond the interpretations that may be made by some, who, as Comandante Daniel said today, do not represent the Spirit of the King of Kings, of Jesus Christ, of Christian Love, of Commitment to one's Neighbor.
We believe in God, and with Faith in God, in that Just God, the God who demands we Love our Neighbor, from that Love we live and we know that we our way is replete, filled with Trust!
Comrades, one more day to affirm, one more afternoon, one more night to affirm the Pride of being part of Peoples prepared to struggle, being part of a Model of Socialist, Christian Solidarity and Complementary Justice. Because ALBA is that: It is Solidarity, it is Complementarity, it is Fraternity, based on Freedom and true Democracy.
Our Peoples are mapping out their Path, and anticipating the traps, knowing that we will not fall into them! And the Peoples, from the Wisdom of experience, as has been well explained, as our Comandante Daniel has masterfully explained, the historical experience, out of that Wisdom we sense, and we know. Our intuition is in the Heart of each one of us, who know, because we do know, how to continue fighting to defend our Peace.
Peace is not a game! With Nicaragua, which has conquered Peace with so much sacrifice, we don't play! Let them not dare to play, as some wretches trifled for a while, let them not dare trifle with Peace! Let them not dare to play with the Right of All, to Goodness for All ! Let them not dare to play with the tranquility of Nicaragua’s Families! Let them not dare to abuse this Model of Christian Love, of Harmonious Coexistence, of Reconciliation ! Let them not dare to play with Peace!
We claim that in the Mighty Name of Jesus, and we affirm it: Peace is not a game to be played with! We don't play with Peace! It is yet one more crime to try disrupting the Peace we have in our Nicaragua!
The Majority want to live in Peace, in Family, with Wellbeing, with Work, with Tranquility, with Security, because that is what we deserve as People of God. Don't let them dare violate that, because as we already know, they couldn't prevail, nor will they!
Here, all of us, all our Families, all the Nicaraguan People, we are Guardians of Peace, of Well-being and of the Rights of All, and we advance recognizing our Rights that no one can take away from us, we advance with a raised, heightened Conscience. Because the Experience, the Wisdom that our People have been accumulating through all Time, through our History, enlightens us, guides us. There is a Sun shining here...! That Wisdom, that Experience, that Love of God, is the Sun that never sets, the Sun illuminating now the Victories of today, and the Victories of tomorrow! Thank you very much, Compañer@s.