A summon to the Progressive Forces to Face Imperialism

Remembering the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel  Castro, a call to the unity of the progressive forces and the ratification that Cuba will not give in to blackmail or pressures, the Anti-imperialist Meeting, of Solidarity for Democracy and against Neoliberalism began here today.

José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Esteban Lazo, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State, and other members of the Political Bureau of the Cuban Party presided the opening ceremony.

Several personalities Ralph Gonzalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, leaders of world organizations, former presidents and former ministers, and several relevant personalities attended.

following an emotional performance of children from La Colmenita group with the play Growing with Fidel, spoke before the delegates, more than a thousand from all continents, Fernando González Llort, president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP).

González Llort stressed that Fidel's concepts, ideas and personal example are the beacon on the safe path to victory. For him, who so much did for unity, vital for resistance and the struggle against imperialism, a common enemy of our peoples, this event is dedicated to him, he said.

“In this same room, Chavez warned us in 2010 and many times, on the need to defeat capitalism. In this room, Fidel said that if he were sailing on Granma yacht again, he would do it with the social movements on board. In these very halls, many of you debated, exchanged ideas and developed proposals to defeat the FTAA, and we won! ”González Llort added.

On the growing imperial aggressiveness, he denounced that the United States threatens and slanders Cuba for not recognizing its failure in the attempt to overthrow our Revolution and distort the altruistic medical cooperation that our country offers in more than 80 nations.

"What better platform than this space to ratify that Cuba will never give in or betray its principles or solidarity with the other peoples of the world," he said.

Cuba will not be bullied, nor distracted from the essential and urgent tasks at hand of the development of our economy and the construction of socialism, he said, reaffirming “they cannot strangle us, nor stop us, they can be sure that neither blackmail nor pressure, nor with the economic blockade, nor with their extraterritorial laws, could they get a single consent from the Cuban people, which never gives up.”

ICAP’s president expressed solidarity with the just causes, and he stressed: Venezuela is today the anti-imperialist trench where the left's capacity to join forces for peace, sovereignty and self-determination of our peoples is defined.

Lula, imprisoned under false charges and scandalous legal traps, is the very example of how far the enemies of the left can go. "Today his freedom is also one of the great challenges for left forces. The mobilizations cannot end," he said.

He also expressed total support for the defiance of the Puerto Rican people, "that more than 100 years of North American colony have not been able to bury", and the struggles of the Palestinians and Saharawis.

"We’ll keep on summoning all honest political forces worldwide to condemn the criminalization of struggles, the judicialization of politics, the killing of social leaders, actions that seek to deny the sense of justice of popular rebellions," he said.

González Llort spoke on behalf of the Organizing Committee of the Meeting, he congratulated Evo Morales, Alberto, and Cristina Fernández for the recent wins in the elections.

Later he highlighted: preventing the advance of neoliberal policies being applied with increasing radicalism are urgent and important. Let’s put together the accumulated experiences, so that the left militants are fully aware where the path towards unity goes.

The future of the left wing will increasingly demand the importance of the youngest “from Cuba we trust that this will be the case,” he said, and he highlighted the participation of women in the struggles of the people.

ICAP’s president summoned “all governments and the international community to support the Resolution that Cuba will present before the General Assembly of the United Nations, on November 6th and 7th, denouncing the criminal and illegal blockade imposed on us by the United States government."

The session continued with the interventions of Jordania Ureña, Secretary of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, Evelyn Nawaces Taeyela, head of the SWAPO bank at the National Assembly of Namibia, and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.

The meeting will hold sessions until Sunday.

Amilkal Labañino / CubaSi Translation Staff