The world is suffering, at the same time, the
consequences of climatic changes; shortages and prices of foods,
military spending and the squandering of natural and human resources are
increasing. War was the timeliest event that could happen at this time.
Obama’s trip through Latin America moved into the
background, people were hardly paying any attention to it. In Brazil,
the contradictory interests between the United States and this sister
nation have become evident.
We cannot forget that Rio de Janeiro competed with Chicago to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
Obama wanted to win over the South American
giant. He spoke of the “extraordinary rise of Brazil” that has impressed
the international scene and he praised its economy as one of the
economies with the fastest growth rate in the world, but he showed not
even the least commitment in supporting Brazil as a permanent member of
the privileged Security Council.
The Brazilian president did not hesitate in
expressing her disagreement with the protectionist measures the US is
applying on Brazil with the tariffs and subsidies that have constituted a
mighty obstacle for the economy of that country.
Argentine writer Atilio Boron states that “ […]
what interests [Obama] most as administrator of the empire is advancing
control of Amazonia. The main requisite of this plan is to slow down,
since it is something he cannot stop, the growing political and economic
coordination and integration that is happening in the region: this had
been very important in sinking ALCA in 2005 and frustrating the
secessionist conspiracy and coups in Bolivia in 2008 and Ecuador in
2010. He also has to try to sow the seeds of discord between the most
radical governments in the region (Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador)
and the “progressive” governments, mainly Brazil, Argentina and
Uruguay…”
“For the boldest US strategists, the Amazon river
basin, just as the Antarctic, is a free-access area where national
sovereignties are not recognized...”
Tomorrow Obama moves over to Chile. His arrival
is preceded by an interview he gave to the newspaper El Mercurio that
was printed today, on Sunday, in which he confesses that the “Debate in
the Americas”, as he calls it, is based on a “partnership of equals”
with Latin America that practically leaves us breathless as we recall
the Alliance for Progress that preceded the mercenary Bay of Pigs
expedition.
Obama literally confesses that the US vision for
the hemisphere […] is based on the concept of a partnership of equals
that he has pursued ever since becoming President of the United States.
Obama stated that he shall also focus on specific
areas where they can work together, such as economic growth, energy,
security and human rights’…
That vision, he emphasized, has the aim of
‘improving common security, expanding economic opportunities, ensuring a
clean energy future and supporting the democratic values we share’.
…promoting a safe, stable and prosperous
Hemisphere where the United States and their partners share
responsibilities on key regional and global issues...
As we can see, everything is marvellously
beautiful, worthy of being buried just like Reagan’s secrets, to be
published within 200 years.
The problem is, as informed by the DPA Agency,
according to a survey carried out by the newspaper La Tercera, “…in
2006, 43 percent of the Chilean population was rejecting nuclear
plants”.
“Two years later the rejection rate rose to 52
percent and in 2010 is reached 74 percent.” Today, after what happened
in Japan it has reached “...86 percent of Chileans...”
We only have to ask Obama one question. Taking
into account that one of his illustrious predecessors, Richard Nixon
promoted the coup and the heroic death of Salvador Allende, the torture
and murder of thousands of persons, would Mr. Obama be asking
forgiveness of the Chilean people?
Fidel Castro Ruz - March 20, 2011
My Shoes Are Too Tight
By Fidel Castro
March 23, 2011 -- March 21, 2011 -- While the
damaged reactors spew radioactive smoke over Japan and
monstrous-looking planes and nuclear submarines launch deadly charges
tele-directed onto Libya, a North African Third World country with
barely six million inhabitants, Barack Obama was spinning a tale for the
Chileans that sounded like one I used to hear when I was 4 years old:
“My shoes are too tight, my socks are too warm; and I carry in my heart
the little kiss you gave me”.
Some of his audience was taken aback in that Cultural Centre in Santiago de Chile.
When the president looked anxiously over his
audience after mentioning perfidious Cuba, expecting an explosion of
applause, there was icy silence. Behind him, oh, yes! felicitous
coincidence! among all the other Latin American flags, there precisely
was Cuba’s.
If he were to turn for a second, over his right
shoulder he would have seen, like a shadow, the symbol of the Revolution
on the rebel Island that his mighty country wanted to destroy, but
could not.
Anybody would be, without a doubt,
extraordinarily optimistic if they were expecting the peoples of Our
America to applaud the 50th anniversary of the mercenary Bay of Pigs
invasion, 50 years of cruel economic blockade of a sister country, 50
years of threats and terrorist attacks that cost thousands of lives, 50
years of plans to assassinate the leaders of the historic process.
I heard myself being mentioned in his words.
In truth, I gave my services to the Revolution
for a long time, but I never eluded risks nor violated constitutional,
ideological or ethical principles; I regret not having better health so
that I could carry on serving the Revolution.
I resigned, without hesitation, all my state and
political positions, including that of First Secretary of the Party,
when I became ill and I never tried to exercise them after the
Proclamation of July 31, 2006, even when I partially recovered my health
more than a year later, although everyone continued to affectionately
address me in that manner.
But I am and shall continue to be as I promised: a soldier of ideas, as long as I can think or breathe.
When they asked Obama about the coup against
heroic President Salvador Allende, promoted as many others by the United
States, and about the mysterious death of Eduardo Frei Montalva,
murdered by agents of DINA, a creation of the American government, he
lost his composure and began to stammer.
The commentary on Chilean television at the end
of his speech was, without a doubt, accurate when it stated that Obama
had nothing to offer the Hemisphere.
As for me, I don’t want to give the impression
that I felt any hatred for his person, much less for the people of the
United States; I acknowledge the contributions many of its sons and
daughters have made to culture and science.
Obama now has before him a trip to El Salvador
tomorrow, on Tuesday. There he is going to have to be quite inventive
because, in that sister nation in Central America, the weapons and
training received from the governments of his country spilt much blood.
I wish him bon voyage and a bit more good sense.
Fidel Castro Ruz - March 21, 2011
