Orinoco Tribune: Venezuela Statement About Gaza Strip Crisis October 7: “the escalation is the result of the inability of the Palestinian people to find a space in multilateral international legality to assert their historical rights.” It calls for “the end of violence throughout the Palestinian territory through direct dialogue and compliance with Security Council resolution number 2334, which requires Israel to “immediately and completely” cease all settlement and occupation activities in the Palestinian territory, as the sole pathway to achieve peace.”
Orinoco Tribune: President Maduro Condemns Genocide of Palestinians in Gaza October 9: “The world has to react and say no to the genocide against the people of Gaza, no to the genocide against the Palestinian people.” “It is in the hands of the United States and Europe to stop this escalation… and to ensure that a regional war does not end in a world war.” Maduro recalled that the United Nations in 1967 established rulings for the establishment of two States (Palestine and Israel), a decision of mandatory compliance that has been violated by all the governments of Israel. “Let us demand a ceasefire, let us demand respect for the rights of the people and demand that immediate peace negotiations be initiated to restore the historical rights to independence, territory and peace of the Palestinian people.”
Maduro denounced “how their territory was plundered and how for 75 years the Palestinian people have been subjected to what today is considered a new apartheid. What is happening in the Gaza Strip has been described by the United Nations and human rights organizations as a new apartheid.” The Palestinian people have been “indiscriminately bombed, killed daily, imprisoned, children, girls, women,” the president pointed out and criticized the so-called international media that keep silent about the massacres committed against them.
“What is happening right now is the beginning of an escalating war that is dangerous for the peace and security of everyone on planet, and it is the result of the constant violation of the United Nations agreement, the constant violation of human rights of the Palestinian people.” See also TeleSur: Maduro Condemns Israeli Aggression Against Palestine
Ultima Noticias: Vice President Delcy Rodríguez: Stop the genocide against the Palestinian people “The life of a Palestinian child is worth the same as the life of an Israeli child. The life of an Israeli child is worth the same as that of a Palestinian child, which is why we ask that the violence stop. At this time they have already cut off the electricity to Gaza, the power plant is no longer working,” “Stop the genocide against the Palestinian people, this is a situation (the actions of the Hamas group) derived from the accumulation of frustrations, for decades, of the Palestinian people who did not find in multilateral spaces how to claim, how to assert their historical rights.”
Evo Morales Stands with Palestine “The Bolivian people will always condemn the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories, the systematic aggressions against the Palestinian people, and their struggle for independence. Those are the real causes of the conflict, not to denounce them is to be an accomplice,” said Evo on X. He condemned “the imperialist and colonial actions of the Zionist Israeli government.” “When a people defends its sovereignty they call it terrorist. But when the United States finances wars, armed invasions, coups d’état, and assassinations, they speak of democracy.” See here and here and here.
Cuba’s ICAP Statement in Solidarity with Palestine For 75 years, the Palestinian people have faced, in an unequal struggle, the growing hostility of the Israeli state, which has sought to displace them from their own territory, disregarding United Nations resolutions and violating basic human rights. The battle fought by this heroic people calls upon us to redouble our efforts in condemning the crimes that Israel continues to commit against a nation defending its legitimate rights. We extend our solidarity and unconditional support to our Palestinian brothers and sisters, whose cause we defend as our own.
CubaDebate: Israel continues attacks and increases destruction in the Gaza Strip For the fifth consecutive day, the Israeli occupation continued its aggression against the Gaza Strip, already reduced practically to rubble by the criminal bombings. According to the Al Mayadeen correspondent, the enemy military carried out more than 200 raids throughout the Al-Furqan neighborhood, and Israeli planes attacked the vicinity of the Gaza seaport. As a result of so much massacre, many families remain trapped in the basements of the destroyed buildings and ambulance teams cannot reach them, the correspondent details. In its latest statistics, the Palestinian Ministry of Health put the number of Palestinians dead at 922, including 260 children and 230 women. The people of Gaza are going through a terrible situation. Many places are attacked without warning, and innocent civilians are also attacked without warning. They are not to blame, they did nothing to be attacked and they are dying like this.
Granma: Israel, in an extermination plan? Fairness is not a standard for a Zionist Government that has shown no limits to its cruelty, by unleashing a barrage of bombings that have devastated, in full view of the entire world, densely populated civilian areas, even using white phosphorus, a war crime, according to International Law. From the West, the usual support for the aggressors, with the United States at the head.
Nicaragua Government and National Assembly both reaffirm solidarity with Palestine “The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity, and the People of Nicaragua, Always in Solidarity with the Palestinian Cause, Always Fraternal and Always Close; in condemning the barbarism unleashed yet again between two Brotherly Peoples and from our own experiences of imposed wars, calls the World to reflection and respectful action, based on the Values, Culture and forms of Family and Community Life, which have been ignored, altered and squandered by imperial voracity, by selfishness, folly, insensitivity, and contempt in not recognizing the Palestinian State, that is regard thy Neighbor, as thy equal.”
National Assembly: “We condemn the occupation of the Gaza Strip, which generates a serious humanitarian situation for the Palestinian people, an occupation that produces victims and pain in the population. Faced with this situation, we express our solidarity with the Palestinian people who have been historical victims of attacks that deteriorate the family, infrastructure, cultural spaces and means of subsistence of the Palestinian people.”
Ecuador Presidential Election October 15
Sputnik News: Rafael Correa Condemns Plot to Accuse Him of Villavicencio Murder Former president Rafael Correa—political leader of the Citizen’s Revolution Movement, which could lead candidate Luisa González to the presidency of Ecuador if she wins the October 15 runoff, declared, “They assassinate Villavicencio. They delay the preliminary investigation for a month. They kill all the hitmen except one, whom they have in a military barracks, and they make him accuse us on October 10, five days before the elections,” said Correa in response FGE statement. “Anything in order to prevent our victory.”
TeleSur: Closing of Presidential Campaign in Ecuador for Runoff Election The voters will choose between Gonzalez, a 45-year-old former congresswoman and candidate of the Citizen Revolution Movement (RC5), led by former progressive president Rafael Correa (2007-2017), and Noboa, a 35-year-old businessman.
Events
One Million Signatures to Take Cuba off the US List of State Sponsors of Terror Sign on now if you haven’t done so. Cuba is on the US list, Israel is not.
September 23 – November 18: virtual course, Ben Linder Solidarity School, 9 week class (two hours a week) Topics include: Nicaragua and the Sandinista Revolution; History and current context of Latin America and US imperialism; ATC and peasant organizations / social movements; Food Sovereignty and Agroecology; Solidarity and Internationalism.
Belly of the Beast’s Cuban journalist Liz Oliva Fernández on October-November national tour See The War on Cuba
October 13-15: Annual Meeting of National Network on Cuba in Boston
October 14: Inside Biden’s Cuba Policy with Liz Olivia Fernandez, Belly of the Beast
October 19-November 9: Virtual Course and Film Festival on Indigenous and Afro-descendant People’s Rights This four-part course will take place over zoom from October 19-November 9, and is free of charge. We will hear from Indigenous and Black activists in Nicaragua and the Americas, learn about Nicaragua’s two Autonomous Regions, and see beautiful films about the culture and landscape of these Regions. Watch for notices with details about how to register, or check the websites https://www.casabenjaminlinder.org/tours and https://afgj.org/ for details about how to join!
October 21-22: (Madrid) Encuentro Sandinista de Solidaridad con Nicaragua Organizations from different parts of the Spanish state in the Sandinista Meeting of Solidarity with Nicaragua.
Nicaragua Webinar October 22, 3 pm ET: “Church & State in Nicaragua: Probing the Relationship” This webinar will confront allegations that the Nicaraguan government is conducting “a cutthroat campaign to silence its opponents, targeting religious orders, Catholic institutions, and media in addition to ordinary people of faith….” (Newsweek, Oct. 3) The speakers will also provide troubling evidence about some church leaders’ anti-government activities. Join us for other viewpoints and in-depth discussion, with ample time for your questions during Q&A. Featured speakers: Becca Renk, community development worker in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, for over 20 years, who has written several articles on the church in Nicaragua; Dr. James J. Phillips, former Jesuit, author of books and articles on Honduras and Nicaragua, who lived in Nicaragua for several years and maintains ties there.
October 26: Lobby Day in Congress (both virtually and in-person) against Sanctions in the Americas. https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions & https://www.americaspolicyforum.org/americaswithoutsanctions
January 27, 2024: Latin America conference in London 18th annual conference in solidarity with Latin American progressive movements.
Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela
Upcoming Witness for Peace delegations to Cuba
November 20-29: Bolivia, Food Sovereignty, Popular Democracy & Indigenous Resistance
Casa Ben Linder Nicaragua delegations: January 6-14, January 20-February 1, and February 10-19
April 9-19: Venezuela: Celebrating Popular Sovereignty and Power
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