Cuba, Venezuela Dominate Caribbean Unity Summit

[cal04]

Cuba, Venezuela Dominate Caribbean Unity Summit Despite Leaders' Absence

Cuba and Venezuela led opposition to free market policies Friday, but Mexican President Vicente Fox called for a "strategic alliance" based on free trade in an ideological clash at the Summit of Caribbean States. Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage also lashed out at the U.S. war on terror, which he called "a campaign of pillage," and said "the recent terror attacks in Madrid and London prove that you can't defeat terrorism with terrorism." Venezuela won praise with offers of oil on easy terms or in exchange for local products, while Cuba offered free medical care as part of efforts to broaden President Hugo Chavez's leftist "Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas."

"Venezuela has given the world, and especially the Caribbean, an example of solidarity and brotherhood," Lage told the 25-member Association of Caribbean States, or ACS. "Venezuela and Cuba have taken the first steps toward the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas." He invited the other countries to join and offered to provide medical care to 100,000 poor people from the region. "If we integrate the peoples of our countries, we can't be dominated," he said. Lage, who was attending in place of Castro, asked a question that has worried many at the two-day summit that began Thursday: "What will poor countries with no oil do when prices reach $100 per barrel?"

Chavez along with Castro was absent from the summit, but officials denied that either man feared an assassination attempt in Panama, where Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles allegedly hatched a plot to kill the Cuban leader in 2000.
Chavez's plans drew praise even from President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, a close U.S. ally, who advocated linking the Caribbean islands with undersea oil pipelines and power lines. "I can envision Venezuela playing a great leadership role," Uribe said. Pulling in the opposite direction was the Mexican president, who called for a "strategic alliance" based on free trade and lower investment barriers, and advocated "technology that allows us to leverage growth."

Dominican President Leonel Fernandez said "regional integration has all too often been reduced to trade integration," an approach he called "insufficient." Fernandez called rising energy prices "a terrible threat to economic growth" and praised Chavez's oil plan. Thirteen of the 15 members of the narrower Caribbean Community group, or Caricom - mainly island nations - already have signed onto Venezuela's oil initiative, and similar plans have been launched in South America.
Cuba managed to get a clause condemning the U.S. economic boycott inserted in the final draft of the summit declaration, which was approved Friday and which also stated support for greater representation of developing countries on the U.N. Security Council.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBU8F0YQBE.html

[ProudDad]

1. Viva Chavez, Viva Fidel!

Viva el pueblo del America del Sur!!!!

[IndianaGreen]

4. Lage: you can't defeat terrorism with terrorism!

Viva Chavez!

[Benhurst]

2. Meanwhile back at the Oval Office,

headquarters of the Evil Empire ... .

[getmeouttahere]

3. I love seeing these Latin American nations band together....

solidarity, brothers!

www.handsoffvenezuela.org

[IndianaGreen]

5. Fidel send warm greetings to the people of Panama

Fidel send warm greetings to the people of Panama

BY ELSON CONCEPCION PEREZ— Granma daily special correspondent—

PANAMA CITY—Warm greetings from President Fidel Castro and the government of Cuba to the Panamanian people were transmitted by Vice President Carlos Lage Dávila on his arrival today in this capital.

On reaching Tocumen Airport on Thursday morning, Lage wished the country’s authorities every success for the 4th Summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), which he is attending as head of the Cuban delegation.

In the afternoon he was received by the president of the Republic of Panama, Martín Torrijos Espino in his residence.

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/julio/vier29/32entran.html

Cuban foreign minister in Panama
for Caribbean Summit

BY ELSON CONCEPCION PÉREZ— Granma daily special correspondent—

PANAMA CITY, July 27—Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque has arrived in this city to participate in the foreign ministers’ segment of the 4th Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Summit, which will follow up on the efforts of the high-level experts meeting to prepare the Panama Declaration, to be signed by heads of state or their representatives during the closing session set for Friday evening.

The Declaration expresses defending respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-intervention, as well as the right of every people to build its own political system in peace, stability and justice.

In this sense, it is similar to the document approved during the 3rd Summit held in Isla Margarita, which rejects any kind of unilateral, coercive economic measures applied by a state, as well as the extraterritorial application of internal laws – such as the Helms-Burton – that undermine the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

Likewise, it reaffirms a commitment to multilateralism and condemns all acts of terrorism, in all of its forms and manifestations, by anyone, anywhere, against whomever it may be committed.

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/julio/juev28/32panama.html

[NuttyFluffers]

6. Impressive! may they succeed! n/t