“I think that today in Latin America the prime battle is – in my opinion – that of defeating neo-liberalism because if we do not defeat neo-liberalism we disappear as nations, we disappear as independent States, and we shall be more colonies than the Third World countries ever were.”
Quotes
“A year ago already, as expression of our sovereign political will, we decided to constitute the Association of Caribbean States. We have before us a great challenge. It is a matter of forging a mutual destiny for nations that are remarkably dissimilar in terms of size, population and development […] The region understands, ultimately, that the future path for our peoples lies in unity.”
“Let us imitate the example of those who were our predecessors. Let us do what Bolívar, San Martín, Artigas, O'Higgins, Sucre, Juárez, Morazán and Martí would have done in like circumstances, so that Our America takes an honourable place in a world where we all have a right to live.”
“Let us follow the example of our predecessors. Let us do what Bolivar, San Martin, Artigas, O'Higgins, Sucre, Juarez, Morazan and Marti would have done in similar circumstances, so that our America will hold a dignified place in a world in which we all have a right to live.”
“Unity is the only true strength the Caribbean can count on. Only by being united can we defend ourselves at the regional level and extend that unity to Central America, South America, Africa and to the peoples of other continents. […]
The future depends on our own efforts.”
“We can rightly say that it was the cradle of South African liberation; but one day it will also be considered the cradle of African dignity. And it’s not that Africa has not fought, or that Africa has not carried out thousands and tens of thousands of heroic deeds but this was the most painful stronghold of a system of slavery and injustice that has existed for thousands of years, and particularly in the of Africa, Latin America and the Third World, it prevailed hundreds of years.”
"(...) I see a new hour in Venezuela, an immovable and inseparable pillar of the history of our America. One has the right to trust one's own experience or viewpoint. Not because one is infallible or because one has not made mistakes but because one has had the opportunity to take a 40 yearlong course in the academy of the Revolution".
"Fate would have it that Venezuela should be the country to fight the most for the independence of this hemisphere. It began here and you had a legendary precursor like Miranda, who even lead a French army in campaign waging famous battles which, at a point in time, during the French Revolution, prevented an invasion of French territory".
"(...) we must unite, not only here in the Caribbean and Central America but also with South America. They need it as much as we (...)"
“As Latin Americans, we should try to cooperate with Colombia, with the country itself, to help it achieve a fair peace, one that would benefit everybody”.
“Latin American and Caribbean integration is fundamental. It is only by joining together that we can negotiate our role in this hemisphere and the same applies to the Third World countries vis à vis the powerful and insatiable club of the wealthy.”
"From day one of the revolutionary victory our country has never set obstacles to the legal emigration of Cuban citizens to the United States or to any other country. At the time of the triumph of the Revolution many people in Cuba, like in the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America, who endured poverty and underdevelopment, wanted to migrate to seek for better paid jobs and better living conditions than they could find in their countries subjected to centuries of exploitation and plundering. Until 1959, an extremely limited number of visas were issued to Cubans. After that, for obvious reasons, the gates were wide opened and that is how an important number of Cubans began settling in the United States".