Cuba

Peoples Dispatch: Iran and Cuba call for a global coalition to protect Palestinian rights Cuban President Díaz-Canel and Iranian President Raisi called for the creation of a global coalition of countries to protect the rights of Palestinians. Both countries criticized the global community for failing to stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Raisi claimed that the world is doing nothing substantial to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza and “the United Nations Security Council, the Arab League and other human rights institutions are not being effective in paralyzing the conflict.” Díaz-Canel demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and called for global condemnation of the acts of genocide committed by the Israelis. He also reiterated the urgent need for creating an independent Palestinian state.

Granma: In farewell to Iran, a tribute to Ayatollah Khomeini The Cuban President and the official delegation visiting Iran laid a wreath at the tomb of the founder of the Islamic Revolution. “For the Cuban delegation visiting the sister Islamic Republic of Iran, it is an exciting moment to visit this endearing place where homage is paid to the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini…The influence of his leadership in the world revolutionary movement is undeniable” and his “legacy is very much appreciated by the Cuban people,” wrote Cuba President  Diaz-Canel. “On behalf of the Cuban people and government we pay the most heartfelt tribute to his example,” and strengthening “relations between our nations will be the best tribute we can pay him.”

Venezuela

Orinoco Tribune: Essequibo Referendum: ‘Yes’ Wins Overwhelmingly with Significant Turnout All five questions on the referendum were overwhelmingly approved by the Venezuelan people, with the first and second being the most affirmatively voted. The questions and the vote totals are listed in the article. With a turnout of more than 10.5 million voters, 50% of the electoral roll, the Essequibo referendum represents an important victory for the Venezuelan people, reaffirming their commitment to defend their rightful claim over the Essequibo territory, and, simultaneously, it represents a victory for Chavismo, which was able to unite the people, even including far-right opposition sectors that traditionally oppose anything related to Chavismo. In recent years, Guyana has adopted an aggressive and provocative approach regarding the territorial dispute with Venezuela over Essequibo. This stance has involved periodic military exercises in collaboration with the United States Southern Command.

Vijay Prashad: ExxonMobil wants to start a war in Latin America It is clear that the Venezuelans who voted in the December 3 referendum on the Essequibo region saw this less as a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana and more as a conflict between ExxonMobil and the people of these two Latin American countries; not so much against the people of Guyana, a country with a population of just over 800,000, but a vote for Venezuelan sovereignty against companies such as ExxonMobil. In the deal ExxonMobil had struck with Guyana, it was given 75% of the oil revenue toward cost recovery, with the rest shared 50-50 with Guyana; the oil company, in turn, is exempt from any taxes.

Venezuelanalysis: Venezuela Rejects US Southern Command Presence in Essequibo Amidst Border Dispute Venezuela firmly condemned Guyanese President Irfaan Ali’s overtures to the US Southern Command in the disputed Essequibo. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry rejected Guyana’s “imprudent attitude” for opening “the possibility for an imperial power to install military bases,” threatening the region’s stability. “The Cooperative Republic of Guyana is recklessly attacking international law by carrying out actions that aggravate the territorial controversy. This adds to its illegal conduct of granting oil exploitation licenses to ExxonMobil over a sea pending delimitation with Venezuela.”

Al Mayadeen: Background to the Essequibo Dispute When valuable natural resources, such as gold, were discovered in the Venezuelan lands of Essequibo, the British colonizers manipulated maps, placing the lands into British Guiana, now known as Guyana. Since then, a regional dispute has emerged, as Venezuela fights for what is rightfully its own, and Western imperialism fights to guarantee the theft of overseas resources. Despite rigged treaties and colonial maps, Venezuela demanded recognition of its lands, backed by maps and evidence confirming Guyana’s status as part of Venezuela when the country gained independence in 1811. The 1966 Geneva Agreement recognized Venezuela’s dispute of the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award that gave Essequibo to Britain. The 1966 agreement stated the conflict be resolved with both Venezuela and Guyana present, rather than their colonial counterparts, the US and Britain respectively. The agreement would persist until 2015. About that year, ExxonMobil found oil in Venezuelan territorial waters and continued drilling, disregarding any maritime or land demarcation. In the recent referendum more than 95% of Venezuelans voted to establish a new Essequibo state under Venezuelan rule.

Nicaragua

NicaNotes: Profound Advances in Education and Culture Since 2007, when the Sandinistas returned to power, until 2023, Nicaragua’s education budget has increased by a staggering 457%. The number of teachers has increased two-fold. The Ministry of Education has concentrated on education in the rural, Indigenous, and Afro-descendant communities and prioritized the preservation of languages and Indigenous cultures. A school meal is guaranteed for more than 1.2 million children including preschool and primary students. Over the past 16 years, 244 government child development centers have been created. They have multiplied and from the 32 that barely made it through the fateful 17 years of neo-liberal governments after 1990,and now grown to 276, all subsidized by the state, all with trained personnel, all with specific programs to instill values and knowledge in the children. 

 

Events
Latin American School of Medicine Scholarships application deadline is February 15

January 27, 2024: Latin America conference in London 18th annual conference in solidarity with Latin American progressive movements.

 

Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela

Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations:

-February 10-19: The Bird Brigade: Birding in Solentiname Arquipelago
-March 2-10: Sindicatos & Solidaridad: Labor Movements in Nicaragua
-9-21 July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

April 9-19: Venezuela: Celebrating Popular Sovereignty and Power

April 25- May 8: Celebrating Labor and May Day in Cuba 

Cuba April 27 – May 11 Che Guevara Work Brigade

Cuba: Upcoming delegations and trips to Cuba

June 14-23 Witness for Peace delegation to Cuba

 

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