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‘A new world’
In our
previous edition (September 8), under the title “Cuban Legislators Denied Visa,”
we published an item stating that for the second time U.S. authorities had
refused visas to the Cuban delegation that would have attended the Second
Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in New York, an event sponsored by the
United Nations.
The
delegation was headed by Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada, president of the Cuban
National Assembly of Popular Power, who would have addressed participants of
that meeting which gathers most of the world’s parliaments. Mr. Alarcón was
impeded to do so; in his place, the Cuban Ambassador to the United Nations,
Orlando Requeijo, read the speech. Progreso Weekly reproduces for its
readers the Alarcón speech.
United Nations, New York, September 8, 2005
Mr.
Chairman:
In the
first place, let us state our solidarity with the American people who are still
suffering the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Let the whole world make this
tragedy its own, and let this Conference call for urgent international aid in
order to save thousands of lives still in danger, to mitigate the suffering of
the towns hit by disaster and to contribute to the reconstruction of New Orleans.
The
objectives solemnly proclaimed here five years ago are increasingly distant. The
main objectives established in the so called Summit of the Millennium will
remain as mere words. Even worse, we witness today a colossal swindle.
The
Extraordinary Session of the UN General Assembly, to be held next week, has been
totally watered down. Its original purpose has been kidnapped. Instead of
evaluating the fulfillment of the promises made in 2000, the focus is on an
alleged reform of the UN that far from making it more democratic is bent on
submitting it even more to the interests of the most powerful. About the former
goals and objectives there is hardly a word.
The
preparatory process of the Summit, with its lack of transparency, plagued by
maneuvers and pressures, has shed light on the arrogance and the contempt for
others by those who think of themselves as masters of the Organization and turn
their backs on the problems that affect Humankind.
This
situation must be rejected by parliament members. Let us demand the fulfillment
of even those modest objectives that were announced and that some would not even
mention.
Hunger,
undernourishment, poverty, illiteracy, lack of health should be eradicated. Let
us stop the destruction of the environment, the squandering of natural resources,
selfishness and greed that poison atmosphere, sea and soil. The development of
Third World countries cannot be renounced.
Nothing is more urgent today than the struggle for truth; the defeat of those
who disseminate lies, misrepresent reality and with deceit try to perpetuate an
unjust and irrational system that will lead, including them, to catastrophe.
With
chicanery they’ve tried to justify a senseless war that massacres the Iraqi
people and destroys the lives of thousands of young U.S. men and women. Those
who threaten the world in the name of a hypocritical campaign against terrorism
have been protecting Luis Posada Carriles for six months in their own country, a
confessed terrorist, and denying his extradition to Venezuela where he should be
tried for the destruction, in mid flight, of a civilian airliner. At the same
time, they have kidnapped in maximum security prisons Five true fighters against
terrorism, even though a Panel of Experts of the UN Human Rights Commission
found that their detention was arbitrary and illegal and that the U.S. Eleventh
Circuit of Court of Appeals revoked the farcical trial fabricated by the U.S.
government with the acknowledged purpose of aiding terrorist groups that act
against Cuba with total impunity.
A new
world of justice, solidarity and freedom. Either we are able of conquering it or
we will leave chaos and death for future generations. Either we reach a better
world or we will earn the curse of our grandchildren.
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