Foreword: A successful Summit of the Peoples of Latin America, the Caribbeans and Europe, was organized in Brussels on 17-18 July 2023. It took place in parallel to the third EU-CELAC meeting that was then happening on 17-18 July in Brussels also. The Posadists form part of the European Network of Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution which attended this Summit of the Peoples.
The document below is the final declaration of the Summit of the Peoples of Latin America, the Caribbeans and Europe. Here the document starts:
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On 17-18 July, the Summit of the Peoples gathered in Brussels social, political, trade union, feminist, environmental and popular organizations & movements. Coming from Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, they responded to the pluralist, representative, diverse and inclusive call of the peoples, in the exercise of the Diplomacy of the Peoples, and declared:
1) At a time when imperialism is developing an offensive aimed at dividing the world into blocks of separate states confronting each other. Imperialism organizes provocations, blockades, pressures and unilateral coercive measures against the Peoples who do not submit to imperialism and do not serve its interests, which results in destruction and death in many regions of the planet.
This People’s Summit understood that the meeting between CELAC and the EU was an opportunity to progress in the creation of a multipolar world, with multilateral relations that allow Humanity to move forward in Peace in harmony with the Mother Earth. The aim is to make progress in building relations between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and to strengthen cooperation. This cooperation must be based on mutual respect and reciprocity, with the people at the center of public policies, without external interference, categorically rejecting any political or military action aimed at interfering in the political, economic and social development of the region, We categorically reject any political or military action aimed at intervening in the normal development of the institutions and constitutional norms of any of the states participating in the summit, and we therefore condemn the media campaigns aimed at destabilizing the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean who have been democratically elected by their people.
We therefore note with interest the advance of the forces defending a new multipolar and multicentric international order, announcing the gradual advent of a global architecture based on solidarity and cooperation between sovereign nations. We view with optimism and sympathy the new progressive wave that is developing in Latin America and the Caribbean. We salute their heroic struggle for sovereignty, social well-being and participatory democracy, which aims to improve the living conditions and well-being of peoples, to promote unity and regional integration in solidarity and to reactivate with more vigour CELAC and UNASUR.
We also greatly appreciate the pioneering role of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), founded by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, and we support the call of the Sao Paulo Forum which proclaims:
“Let us overcome differences; let us build the broadest unity in the diversity of parties, social and popular movements and progressive and leftist intellectuality within each organization, country and continent. We will continue to unite for regional integration to promote the sovereignty of Latin America and the Caribbeans!”.
We salute the 20th anniversary of the Network of Intellectuals, Artists and Social Movements for the Defence of Humanity (REDH), a movement of thought and action whose guiding principles are: the defence of peace, memory, truth and plurality of information, integration and sovereignty of peoples, preservation of the environment and unity in cultural diversity.
2) The People’s Summit:
. condemns the unjust and illegitimate blockade suffered by Cuba by the United States and associates itself with the Declaration adopted at the XXVI Assembly of the Sao Paulo Forum, held in Brasilia from June 29 to July 2, 2023, affirming the heroic resistance of Cuba to more than half a century of unjust and criminal blockade by the imperial power of the United States. The dignity of the Cuban people is an example for all nations and all popular parties in the world, and we feel identified when the Sao Paulo Forum meeting decides to declare Cuba a “universal heritage of dignity”.
. condemns the use of judicial measures and “fake news” to impeach progressive Latin American leaders democratically elected by their peoples, and rejects the illegal policy of sanctions and unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States on the Bolivarian Republic Venezuela and the Republic of Nicaragua, which constitute an inhuman and criminal blockade of the economies and peoples of these two countries; also rejects the European Union’s policy of endorsing and, in some cases, repeating US sanctions against Venezuela and Nicaragua.
. urges the government of the United States to repeal fully, immediately and unconditionally all measures that violate the human rights of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, including the realization of their right to development and pursuit of their well-being.
. in particular, we condemn the kidnapping and arbitrary detention of the Bolivarian diplomat Alex Saab by the United States government while he was carrying out humanitarian work abroad to obtain medicine and food in order to mitigate the criminal consequences of the measures unilateral coercive measures taken against the Venezuelan people. We demand his immediate release.
. rejects the rise of the far right in Europe, fuelled by the implementation of authoritarian, reactionary and patriarchal policies that have suppressed social rights and made life more precarious for millions of people across Europe.
. it advocates the implementation of socially progressive policies that prevent the peoples of Europe from continuing to suffer the consequences of a crisis that they did not cause.
. it expresses its solidarity with the efforts of the Colombian government of President Petro to promote social change with a new labour law in favour of the working class, with a new educational system that truly guarantees the right to education, and with progress towards a universal and quality public health system.
. today, Bolivia is progressing in improving its economy with equity, social justice and well-being, closely linked to its original indigenous roots, to the experiences and objectives of the trade union movement, to the protection of human rights indigenous and peasant peoples and Mother Earth.
. it witnesses with hope the return of Lula to the presidency of Brazil after all kinds of attacks and manipulations, following the popular rejection of the far-right policies of Bolsonaro. Lula’s policy paves the way for a new phase of progress in Brazil that allows us to consider this victory as an example of the struggle and defeat of fascism based on perseverance in social, union and political work.
. it welcomes the impetus given by the creation of a CELAC social organization as a space for the representation of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, and insists that it be recognized by the EU and its organizations as a counterpart to the creation of a social space for bi-regional popular participation.
. it condemns the repression in Peru which left 69 dead, 49 of whom were allegedly killed with military and police weapons. We reject the criminalization of social protest and the obstruction of the right to peaceful mobilization. We demand an end to the trials and the release of the detainees. We also condemn the fact that the government of Dina Boluarte authorized the presence of American troops to intimidate the population. We reject the statement of the Peruvian Congress against Presidents Gustavo Petro, Manuel López Obrador and former President Evo Morales because of their justified condemnation of the political and social situation in Peru.
3) Demands respect for the right of the Haitian people to self-determination without coups d’Etat prepared by the global North, without military occupations of their territory as happened during the operations of the Provisional Multinational Force (PMF) and MINUSTA (UN stabilization mission in Haiti, approved by the UN Security Council and implicated in the systematic sexual abuse of girls, boys and women).
4) From a perspective of active solidarity, we advocate that freedom of movement is not only an inherent human right, but also has a positive impact on host societies. Therefore, it is necessary, on the one hand, to denounce and publicize the violation of the human rights of migrants and their families and, on the other hand, to defend and protect the humanitarian tragedy on the roads. migrants, most of whom are women and girls who are victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. According to this summit, it is time for countries in the North and South to recognize the mutual benefits of migration and implement policies accordingly.
5) Notes with concern that young people on both continents are affected by unemployment, growing inequalities and limitations in their personal and professional development. Inspired by the mobilizing power of youth, advocates empowering young people to take on the role of changing their lives, realizing their demands and ensuring their rights are fulfilled without discrimination and for greater justice social.
6) Notes that despite the progress made, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance persist and undermine respect for all human rights of people of African descent, especially women and children who are victims of discrimination. Urges the adoption of laws and the implementation of policies and programs that guarantee the effective protection of people of African or African descent who are victims of racial discrimination.
7) In preparation for this summit, we organized for two days conferences and debates, sharing the experiences of our struggles and discussing alternatives to the problems that affect our peoples. We have developed plans that clearly show our determination to work together and coordinate our forces.
We propose to fight and unite in a coordinated way to build a Multipolar International Order, based on multilateral relations, which allows the development of the principles and rights recognized in the Founding Charter of the United Nations.
We defend the right of each People to freely determine its future, without outside interference, with the ability to put its wealth and its natural resources at the service of improving the living conditions of the social majority who today suffer from hunger, curable diseases and lack of housing. In these times of food crisis, we demand the strengthening of traditional agriculture and inter-scientific dialogue to achieve food security within the framework of world sovereignty.
– This summit calls on the peoples of the world, the political forces of the left, the progressives and the social and popular movements of Latin America and the Caribbean, and in particular CELAC and ALBA, to express clear and active solidarity with the fight against colonialism and for the inalienable right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people and their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front.
In the same spirit, the summit expresses its solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people for the defence of their right to form an independent state in accordance with international law, by denouncing the oppression of the Israeli occupation forces.
– This summit celebrates the fact that the VII CELAC Summit, held in Buenos Aires in January 2023, declared Latin America and the Caribbean a zone of peace, as approved in Havana within the framework of the II CELAC summit in 2014. We hope that member countries will follow this example in order to effectively contribute to world peace.
– In this moment of history, full of conflicts, we justify the defence of the culture of peace as the foundation of civilization. We urge that these conflicts be resolved through peaceful means and diplomatic negotiations. We support the efforts of Presidents Lula, López Obrador, several African presidents and the Chinese government to end the military conflict in Ukraine. In this defense of a negotiated solution to the conflict, we support President Petro’s initiatives for total peace in Colombia, and recognize the role of Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela as guarantors of the 2016 peace process and agreements. in Colombia.
8) Parallel to our People’s Summit, there took place the III Summit of Heads of States and Governments of CELAC and the EU, conceived to be an occasion to deepen relations between the two regions with strategic autonomy as starting point. We deplore the EU’s attempts to impose unilateral and non-transparent initiatives and methods that go against the spirit of respect, dialogue and cooperation that should prevail in bi-regional relations. As the Peoples Summit, we will continue to press for bi-regional meetings, based on equality and transparency, that offer real solutions to the political, social, environmental and economic challenges of our peoples.
UE-CELAC meeting in Brussels (heads of States) 17-18 July 2023
9) We are convinced that this summit will give impetus to the struggle of the peoples and, with this final declaration, we ask for a roadmap including the following elements:
– Support for the holding of an International Tribunal against the blockade of Cuba, which will be held on November 16 and 17, 2023, as a major action of mobilization, denunciation and demand of the people against the blockade. We demand Cuba’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
– Engage all our organizations in the mobilizations of September 21, in defense of Peace and Solidarity, against the warmongering spiral and for the dissolution of military blocs, by committing ourselves to continue working for the declaration of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean as a Zone of Peace, free of military bases.
– Promote a campaign to denounce the blockades and coercive measures from which many states in the world suffer at the hands of imperialism and, in particular, those from which Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua particularly suffer and which must cease immediately. In this context, we condemn the use of the European Parliament as an instrument in the service of these attacks.
– We demand an end to unilateral sanctions, which constitute a clear interference in the internal affairs of these States. The EU cannot be the architect or accomplice of these illegal actions; we therefore propose that it act directly within it and in all international judicial and political institutions to obtain their removal.
– Support the struggle of women against patriarchy in defence of life by building just and emancipatory societies.
– Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora’s proposal to convene the Earth General Assembly in 2024 to protect our common home, Mother Earth, and discuss the consequences of the capitalist development model that has led to the destruction of our planet, in promoting the creation of the Permanent Intergovernmental Water Mechanism at the UN to guarantee the right to drinking water and sanitation as an essential human right for our peoples.
– Defend agreements and measures that contribute to the development of fair trade, financial and economic relations, balanced on the basis of mutual benefit and the defence of Mother Earth, of a multilateral nature, which definitively put an end to colonialism which has caused so much harm to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.
– Advocate for the preservation, revitalization and promotion of indigenous languages in order to preserve the identity, history, culture, knowledge, customs and traditions of our peoples within the framework of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, in supporting the cultural practices and ancestral medicines of indigenous peoples preserved by these same peoples
– Insist on building communication platforms from which real and truthful information can be disseminated, which put an end to the manipulation of the media and the blocking of information in the service of imperialism.
– Develop mechanisms of communication and cooperation between those who participate in this People’s Summit, in order to give continuity to its work and its proposals and to make our struggle more effective.
This Conference of the Peoples of Latin America, the Caribbeans and Europe concluded its work with the call to continue the popular struggle as presented in the various reports that accompany this Declaration.
AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND FORWARD UNTIL THE FINAL VICTORY OF THE PEOPLES.
Brussels, July 18, 2023
Feature photo: participants at the People’s Summit in Brussels on July 17 and 18, 2023 – composed of mass social and political movements.
