1,000 protest U.S. policies at OAS
By
David Hoskins
Published Jun 18, 2005 10:22 PM
When the 35th General Assembly of the
Organization of American States opened June 5 at the Fort Lauderdale Convention
Center in Florida, over 1,000 protesters marched two miles from a local union
hall to the convention center in defense of three countries under attack by U.S.
imperialism.
The United States repeatedly threatened Cuba, Haiti and
Venezuela throughout the three-day assembly. Cuba is the only state in the
Americas denied a seat in the OAS.
The Haiti Solidarity Committee, in
conjunction with a number of progressive organizations, called the demonstration
to protest Washington’s military and trade policies in Latin America and
the Carib bean. The Bolivarian Circle of Miami, Bro ward Anti-War Committee, and
the Committee to Free the Five Cuban Heroes also endorsed the
actions.
Protesters shouted slogans demanding President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide’s return to office in Haiti, the extradition of terrorist Luis
Posada Carriles to Venezuela, and defeat of the Bush administration’s
“free trade” program for Central America, called CAFTA.
Jack
Lieberman of the HSC demanded that the OAS “live up to its rhetoric and
refuse to seat the criminals who are here claiming to represent Haiti.”
These remarks came in response to OAS recognition of the interim Haiti
regime.
Lieberman further castigated the Bush administration:
“Condoleezza Rice goes around Latin America talking empty phrases about
freedom and democracy while she supports terrorism in Haiti. We say to
Condoleezza Rice and George Bush, you are hypocrites.”
As protesters
voiced their disillusionment with Washington’s policies outside the
convention center, rancorous disputes between Washington and progressive Latin
American administrations emerged inside. The meeting illuminated increasing
divisions between the United States and the other countries in the hemisphere.
These countries are fed up with U.S. interference in their internal politics and
encroachment on their sovereignty.
U.S. Ambassador to the OAS Roger
Noriega initiated a heated exchange when he accused Venezuela of instigating the
popular uprising that ousted Bush’s ally, Bolivian President Carlos Mesa.
Vene zuelan Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez countered, “It seems that he
[Noriega] goes around seeking to throw fuel on the fire” rather than
seeking to find common ground as diplomats are suppose to do.
Rodriguez
correctly pointed out that “the problems in Bolivia are problems that
belong to Bolivia and it is up to Bolivia to solve them … . Venezuela is
scrupulously respectful of the sovereignty of all countries.“
Venezuela’s respect of other countries’ sovereignty stands
in stark contrast to Wash ington’s record of interference. Pres i dent
George W. Bush used his assembly address to push the Declaration of Florida.
This proposal calls for punitive sanctions against any democratically elected
government that Washington determines to have overstepped its constitutional
boundaries.
Venezuela, Brazil and many other countries rejected
Washington’s meddling in their internal politics and constitutional
practices.
OAS skepticism of Washington’s plan is understandable.
The Bush administration used the occasion of the General Assembly to push for
increased corporate control of the Americas and U.S. domination of hemi spheric
politics. But progressive leaders in the region have grown weary of the poverty
and unemployment forced upon their populations by U.S. imperialist policy. As
this most recent General Assembly indicates, the Bush agenda is meeting
increased resistance at home and abroad.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
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