Citizen Revolution in Ecuador Impossible without Fidel Castro
The president of the Ecuadoran National Assembly, Fernando Cordero, said he has had a wonderful visit with the people of Cuban and government leaders, at a press conference held on Thursday in Havana.
"During our visit to Cuba we had the opportunity to present the Eloy Alfaro Decoration to Fidel Castro, who is a constant light for our people. This decoration represents the Ecuadorian people's recognition of a Latin American who has contributed to the new reality that we are living today on our continent," said Fernando Cordero.
Cordero said that the Citizen Revolution in Ecuador could have never been possible without Fidel Castro.
In response to a question from reporters, Cordero said that among the recent achievement, his country has been able to recover the concept of sovereignty; renegotiate the foreign dept, saving the country US$ 1 million a day, money that is being channeled into healthcare, education and other social programs; and decentralize power, which is now shared by the people with representatives from the rural sectors elected at the municipal level for the first time in 180 years of democracy.
Fernando Cordero also spoke about the importance of new regional mechanisms, such as the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) and UNASUR, and their concrete measures, including the creation of the Banco del Sur (South Bank) and the regional single currency system, the SUCRE.
The ALBA is an international cooperation mechanism based upon the idea of social, political, and economic integration between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The ALBA was launched in Havana, Cuba in 2005 within the framework of the Hemispheric Social Alliance. ALBA challenges the hegemony of neoliberal integration and provides an alternative to the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), focusing on the market as the source of efficiency and economic growth and prosperity. ALBA is a form of integration to achieve development build on the cornerstone of the fight against poverty and exclusion, through social reform.
The Ecuadorian National Assembly president also spoke about the case of the five Cuban anti-terrorists incarcerated in US jails, which he called "a manipulation by the US justice system."
Cordero said that the international movement to free the Five is growing and that "Obama owes several debts to the world, one of which is the release of the Cuban Five."
The misguided arrest of the Cuban Five in 1998 and the subsequent travesty of justice lead to their convictions on multiple unsubstantiated charges in 2001.
The Cuban Five were dedicated to uncovering plots by ultra-rightwing Cuban-American organizations based in Miami with a long record of terrorist actions against Cuba and the Cuban people When they turned their information over to authorities they were arrested and have been in jail ever since. In a trial plagued with irregularities and held in a highly biased Miami court, the Cuban Five —Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and René González— were given harsh sentences ranging from 15 years to consecutive life terms plus 15 years.
A UN Working Group reviewing the case determined that the trial did not take place in a climate of objectivity and impartiality, which is required in order to conclude on the observance of the standards of a fair trial.
The president of the Ecuadoran National Assembly, Fernando Cordero, also called on the US government to return to Cuba the illegally-occupied Guantanamo Naval Base.
"During our visit to Cuba we had the opportunity to present the Eloy Alfaro Decoration to Fidel Castro, who is a constant light for our people. This decoration represents the Ecuadorian people's recognition of a Latin American who has contributed to the new reality that we are living today on our continent," said Fernando Cordero.
Cordero said that the Citizen Revolution in Ecuador could have never been possible without Fidel Castro.
In response to a question from reporters, Cordero said that among the recent achievement, his country has been able to recover the concept of sovereignty; renegotiate the foreign dept, saving the country US$ 1 million a day, money that is being channeled into healthcare, education and other social programs; and decentralize power, which is now shared by the people with representatives from the rural sectors elected at the municipal level for the first time in 180 years of democracy.
Fernando Cordero also spoke about the importance of new regional mechanisms, such as the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) and UNASUR, and their concrete measures, including the creation of the Banco del Sur (South Bank) and the regional single currency system, the SUCRE.
The ALBA is an international cooperation mechanism based upon the idea of social, political, and economic integration between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The ALBA was launched in Havana, Cuba in 2005 within the framework of the Hemispheric Social Alliance. ALBA challenges the hegemony of neoliberal integration and provides an alternative to the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), focusing on the market as the source of efficiency and economic growth and prosperity. ALBA is a form of integration to achieve development build on the cornerstone of the fight against poverty and exclusion, through social reform.
The Ecuadorian National Assembly president also spoke about the case of the five Cuban anti-terrorists incarcerated in US jails, which he called "a manipulation by the US justice system."
Cordero said that the international movement to free the Five is growing and that "Obama owes several debts to the world, one of which is the release of the Cuban Five."
The misguided arrest of the Cuban Five in 1998 and the subsequent travesty of justice lead to their convictions on multiple unsubstantiated charges in 2001.
The Cuban Five were dedicated to uncovering plots by ultra-rightwing Cuban-American organizations based in Miami with a long record of terrorist actions against Cuba and the Cuban people When they turned their information over to authorities they were arrested and have been in jail ever since. In a trial plagued with irregularities and held in a highly biased Miami court, the Cuban Five —Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and René González— were given harsh sentences ranging from 15 years to consecutive life terms plus 15 years.
A UN Working Group reviewing the case determined that the trial did not take place in a climate of objectivity and impartiality, which is required in order to conclude on the observance of the standards of a fair trial.
The president of the Ecuadoran National Assembly, Fernando Cordero, also called on the US government to return to Cuba the illegally-occupied Guantanamo Naval Base.
Source:
Periódico Juventud Rebelde
Date:
27/05/2010