CELAC Unity Shattered by Minority Siding with US Imperialism

ByJay Watts

Colombian President Gustavo Petro released a draft statement on X/Twitter today condemning “extra-regional military deployment in the region”, approved by the majority of countries in Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños (CELAC), but revealed that a minority held up adoption of the statement. CELAC, which was founded in Playa del Carmen, Mexico in 2011 to provide an alternative forum for countries of the Americas to discuss and deal with regional issues outside of the Organization of American States (referred to as “The Yankee Ministry of Colonies” by Fidel Castro and headquartered in Washington, DC), does not include the USA nor Canada, and operates on a consensus principle. The lack of a consensus decision means that the draft statement may be reflective of the positions of the signatory countries, but does not represent CELAC as an organization.

Although the draft statement condemns “extra-regional military deployment,” an obvious reference to the USA’s deployment of advanced warships and long-range aircraft in the Caribbean near Venezuelan waters and the recent air strike carried out against a boat which reportedly murdered 11 people, the statement does not identify the United States of America as being responsible for that deployment, possibly indicating further divisions within even the majority CELAC countries over how to confront (or not confront) US imperialism.

During a joint conference yesterday in Mexico City with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs (and awarded zionist) Juan Ramón de la Fuente announcing a security cooperation agreement, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that the illegal air strike wchich murdered eleven people was authorized by US President Donald Trump, saying, “Instead of interdicting it, on the President’s orders, we blew it up. And it will happen again. Maybe it’s happening right now. I don’t know.”

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago, which did not sign the CELAC statement, released a statement which said, “I, along with most of the country, am happy that the US naval deployment is having success in their mission. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has played a leading role regionally in confronting the genocide carried about by israel recently, as well as standing against US imperialist manuveurs in Latin America and the Caribbean, tweeting today “This is the statement from the vast majority of the members of CELAC, who sign for peace in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is not a CELAC statement because a minority, which I add, opposed it.”

The signatories are Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Hondura, México, Nicaragua, Dominican Republica, San Cristóbal & Nieves, Santa Lucía, San Vicente & The Grenadines, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.”

“Countries that did not support the statement are Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Jamaica, Paraguay, Perú, and Trinidad & Tobago.”

The Statement

STATEMENT by the STATES of the COMMUNITY OF LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STATES – CELAC – ON THE EXTRA-REGIONAL MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE REGION

The countries that make up the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) express their deep concern over the recent extra-regional military deployment in the region.

In this regard, it is recalled that Latin America and the Caribbean have been proclaimed a Zone of Peace, a commitment adopted by all Member States and based on principles such as: the prohibition of the threat or use of force, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the promotion of dialogue and multilateralism, unrestricted respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, and the inalienable right of peoples to self-determination.

We also emphasize that the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) constitutes a historic milestone that made our region the first densely populated area in the world free of this type of weapon. This treaty reflects the vocation of our peoples for peace, collective security, and the definitive prohibition of nuclear weapons as a means of coercion or threat.

We also recognize that transnational organized crime and drug trafficking constitute a significant threat to achieving peaceful and inclusive societies, and therefore reaffirm their will to combat them as a priority, increasing regional and international cooperation and coordination within the framework of respect for international law and complying with current legal frameworks and international conventions.

The CELAC countries that have signed this declaration call for the promotion of a safe environment and reiterate their firm commitment to the defense of peace, stability, democracy, and development throughout the region.