by Daniel Ortega, published by Chicago Alba Solidarity, November 18, 2022
It’s great when the global south has a well informed, articulate and passionate spokesperson. We need to listen to them in their own words on occasion. Of course looking in this dark mirror can be diquieting, but it is necessary all the same. [jb]
I want to conclude by referring to a meeting currently taking place there in Egypt, they call it the COP. This is COP number I don’t know what exactly, because since 1995 when they started doing these meetings there in Germany, because they were worried about global warming, about poisoning the planet, about the destruction of the planet. And they reach agreements, but they don’t fulfill any of them, and then they get back together and they make more agreements, and they don’t fulfill any of those either. Who does not comply? The countries that pollute the planet the most, the very ones that should comply with what the agreements mandate.
Because countries like ours here in Central America and the Caribbean, which do not have high levels of pollution but are rather the victims of global warming, hence the hurricanes, the droughts, everything that we already know of, which are always hitting this area and that is recognized by the international community, by scientists; among other areas, in Asia, in Africa, it is recognized here in the Americas, that Central America and the Caribbean is an area highly vulnerable to global warming.
Well, yet another meeting, and of course we sent a delegation, to listen and also at least to be listened to, but in these meetings the same thing happens as happens with the United Nations. It is the same, that is, in case of the United Nations, what is said? That it must defend and respect the Principles of the United Nations founding charter, but that is not fulfilled! And who does not comply? Those who have the power to say, I won’t comply. Who has that power? The imperialists of the earth, who remain the same as ever.
If we have to point out here the culprits of the destruction of the planet, of global warming, of the destruction and enslavement of humanity, it is the countries, the nations that were then already developed, wealthy nations, the one that were killing each other to see who could dominate the world. And I mean Europe. Indeed, the Europeans were killing each other, and that was when there were kings all over Europe, and they all went to the Pope so that the Pope would crown them. Yes, that’s how it was.
Then they went on to invade Africa, invade Asia, invade these lands, murdering, stealing wealth, destroying, polluting, and yes, enslaving millions of human beings they set out to enslave. Yes, it was a crime against humanity, enslaving human beings, especially from Africa, entire enslaved families were imprisoned, fettered and shackled, fathers, mothers, boys and girls, young people, children… Everyone!
Whole families were enslaved and then transported by the big European companies that managed the slave transport business, shipping them from those areas of Africa, where the slave buyers went, selecting slaves, paying for them, and so they bought human beings as merchandise. Total brutality! And then shipping them to other places, including the United States where slavery was installed.
So, every year and every day we hear there at the United Nations the protests and demands over the agreements not being fulfilled and so the world will be destroyed and humanity will disappear.
Yesterday, or the day before, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, spoke at the meeting in Egypt, and look at this man’s variety of wisdom. What did he say? That with what has happened and with the destruction of the planet, and because what should be done is not really being done, all this is leading us all to suicide.
No, Mr. Guterres, we do not want to commit suicide, none of us want to commit suicide, nor do Africans want to commit suicide, nor do Asians want to commit suicide. What you need to say is, and have the courage to say it, is that what has been happening is a crime committed since colonial times, against peoples in developing countries, against the African, Asian, Latin American and Caribbean Peoples, they have been destroyed, they have been murdered, they have been exploited, and along with that, those doing so have been destroying the Environment.
Such that they, with their big companies and their big industries have been quietly poisoning the environment, and that poison falls on us, the poison that they emit. So who are the killers of the environment? It is the wealthy countries, the capitalist countries that are killing the environment. So say it, Mister Secretary of the United Nations, have the courage to say so and not come out with the story that we are all committing suicide.
No one here wants to commit suicide, here what we are faced with is a gang of assassins who control the global economy, who control atomic weapons and who commit crimes every day. They commit crimes even in their own countries, they live killing themselves there, killing children, killing students. It happens every day, hardly a day passes where such news is not there in the United States. Since there is a free market with weapons there, a child can go out with a gun and set about killing, or an adult, the same, anyone; they kill as they please, there is no security there.
On the other hand, they speak out against drug trafficking and organized crime. But why is there drug trafficking and organized crime? This is the same case as with global warming, why? Because it turns out that the inhabitants of those rich countries love marijuana, they love cocaine, drugs, they love it, they go crazy for it. They are the biggest consumers and they pay very well, and those who produce drugs in these parts are quite simply not the ones who consume it.
The key to ending drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, and the largest amounts of money are laundered in US banks, from drug traffickers. Who has the key to end it? The United States has it. Who else has the key? The Europeans have it.
Why don’t they exercise control? Why don’t they apply control? Because, like it or not, while there is a lot of talk about narco-States here in Latin America, in fact the narco-States are the developed countries, and that is why they never put an end to the consumption of drugs, nor truly try to control it. On the contrary, it has become a huge business where police officials, intelligence officials, officials of the US Congress are engaged in this kind of criminal activity.
The truth is that we have to continue striving against these conditions; that is, we cannot give up in the face of that Goliath who continues to destroy and commit barbarities even against their own people.
And at the United Nations, one sometimes asks, really what are we doing at the United Nations? But after all, we have to continue in the United Nations, so that at least we can be heard and to demonstrate and make clear that there is no democracy at the United Nations, there is one power imposing itself, which is the power of the powerful capitalist countries, that is what gets imposed.
Precisely in the last few days, a vote was held at the United Nations on the issue of the blockade of Cuba. Yet one more vote. Year after year, the United Nations votes to see who is in favor of the blockade of Cuba and who is against the blockade in Cuba. And there are already around 190 Countries, 188 Countries, that is, the overwhelming majority; while there are just two, three or four countries that vote to maintain the blockade of Cuba, the first, of course, being the United States.
The rest of the countries of the world, even those that are pro-American, despite the fact that the Yankees pressure them to vote in favor of the blockade, do not dare. Because they realize that they become accomplices of a crime against humanity that has been committed every day for 60 years against a people, the people of Cuba, the people of Fidel, Martí, Raúl, Miguel Díaz-Canel, that Heroic People who have resisted and are resisting a blockade for more than 60 years.
It is the people who suffer with these blockades, and what does the Secretary-General say in the face of a vote like that? Mr. Guterres, you should declare in favor of that if in the United Nations General Assembly, where the representatives of all the world’s countries are, and they vote for the blockade of Cuba to be lifted, and there are 180 votes against 4 votes, then what more do you need to have the courage to insist that what the peoples mandate should be fulfilled?
Let the vote of the nations, of the peoples, be fulfilled if we want to have some respect for the United Nations; otherwise, I tell you, beloved brothers and sisters, we should not get our hopes up about the United Nations, it is a disaster, which has served for nothing except to allow the commission of horrendous crimes, and always in developing countries.
Our solidarity on this day with the people of Cuba, with Cuba’s families and with the Cuba’s youth who have been a brave, heroic, combative youth.
And for you, beloved young men, beloved young women, who have held this Congress, one more Congress for you all, a Congress not just for talk, not just to be talking in a vacuum, but a Congress of deeds, of action, working alongside the people and next to the people. That is the Sandinista Youth!
Long live the Sandinista Youth! Long live Blessed Nicaragua, Forever Free!
Sandino Lives, The Struggle Continues! A Free Nation or Death!
*Featured Image: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega speaks to supporters during a rally in Managua on August 22, 2018. Photo: Inti Ocon/AFP via Getty ImagesOP
Daniel Ortega, in case you are new around here, is the President of the thriving socialist nation of Nicaragua. This article is the conclusion of speech from Comandante Daniel during the closure of the National Congress of the July 19th Sandinista Youth in tribute to Comandante Carlos Fonseca Amador, founder of the FSLN, November 8th 2022 entire speech here.