Latin America Leaders Condemn US-led Attack on Syria

14 April 2018

The governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia were among those condemning the airstrikes against the Syrian government.

Several Latin American governments, including those in Cuba and Venezuela, as well as regional leaders and presidents condemned Saturday the attacks by the U.S., France and the United Kingdom on Syria, using as a pretext the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma by President Bashar Assad’s forces without proper investigations being done.

The Cuban government was one of the first nations to decry the aggression on Syria. A statement by the Cuban Foreign Ministry said the unilateral action, ignoring the U.N. Security Council, constituted a “flagrant violation of International Law and the U.N. Chapter, while being an outrage against a sovereign state that worsens the conflict in Syria and the region.”

“The U.S. has attacked Syria without the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Damascus government being proved, and despite the fact that Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons being already on the ground to open an investigation in Douma,” the statement says.

Cuba is a signatory nation of the Convention of Chemical Weapons, and it firmly turns down the use of this armament and others of mass extermination by any party and under any circumstance, the foreign ministry stressed.

“The Cuban Revolutionary government conveys its solidarity and sympathy with the people and government of Syria for the loss of lives and material damage as a consequence of this heinous attack.”

Meanwhile the Venezuelan government issued a statment later Saturday decrying the attack as ignoring the basic elements of international norms. “The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects and strongly condemns the unilateral military attack perpetrated by the United States, France and the United Kingdom, against the territory and the brother People of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Venezuela’s forigen ministry said in a statement.

“Once again, the United States and some of its allies are unaware of the most elementary principles and norms of International Law, when undertaking unilateral action, without their discussion and approval within the organs empowered to do so by the United Nations.”

The statement further warned that the attack was carried out by the U.S, United Kingdom, and France before international inspectors had the opportunity to probe the incident and determine the perpetrators or if in fact was a chemical arms attacks.

“The hasty military operation of the United States, recalls the catastrophic invasion of Iraq in 2003, justified under the pretext of the necessary neutralization of weapons of mass destruction that, after months of death and chaos, they acknowledged never having located.”

The comments from Havana and Caracas came hours after the United States, United Kingdom, and France fired over 100 missiles into Syria according to the Syrian government, Russia, and the U.S. military. The Syrian army said that more than 70 missiles of the 105 fired at its structures were intercepted by its air defenses.

Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, also condemned the attacks remembering that the U.S. also made up a similar story to justify their real intentions in Iraq.

Con la fuerza de la dignidad, la defensa de la paz, de los pueblos del mundo, condenamos enérgicamente el ataque desquiciado de Trump contra el hermano pueblo de Siria. Ayer, inventaron irreales armas de destrucción masiva para invadir Irak, hoy lanzan misiles con excusa parecida

— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) April 14, 2018

“With the force of dignity, the defense of peace and of the peoples of the world, we strongly condemn Trump’s deranged attack against our Syrian brothers and sisters. Yesterday they invented fake weapons of mass destruction to invade Iraq, today they launch missiles with a similar excuse.”

He further said that Bush’s ultimate aim was to get control over oil and that now Trump wants Syria’s natural resources.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza suggested that the attack is a new attempt to restart the so-called Cold War and called for the people to be ready for what’s coming.

Las maniobras para reeditar una nueva "Guerra Fría", son signo inequívoco de desespero y decadencia imperialistas. El sistema se tambalea desde sus propios cimientos. Los PUEBLOS deben estar ALERTAS, MOVILIZADOS y en OFENSIVA. Nada más peligroso que una fiera herida de muerte.

— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) April 13, 2018

“The measures to start a new Cold War are an unmistakable sign of despair and decline of imperialism. The system is staggering in its own foundations. The PEOPLES must be ALERT, MOBILIZED and in OFFENSIVE. Nothing is more dangerous than a fatally wounded beast.”

El belicismo occidental guiado por la supremacía blanca estadounidense encuentra satisfacción sádica en la mentira para justificar su barbarie contra los pueblos del mundo. Somos miles de millones quienes queremos La Paz en el planeta! No a la guerra! No al imperialismo! https://t.co/r4V5Zl7U2G

— Delcy Rodríguez (@DrodriguezVen) April 14, 2018

“The western aggressiveness guided by the U.S. white supremacy finds a sadic satisfaction in lying to justify their brutality against the people’s of the world. We’re billions who want Peace in the world! No to war! No to imperialism!” said Delcy Rodriguez, head of Venezuela’s constituent assembly.”

In New York, Peru’s ambassador to the UN, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, also condemned the chemical weapons, saying the nation supports an investigation into attacks by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemicals Weapons (OPCW).

“The Peruvian government has clearly stated these facts, has called for restraint (…) and has very clearly condemned the use of chemical weapons, which constitutes a heinous crime,” said Meza-Cuadra.

“The Security Council has a mandate and a fundamental responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security, it needs to be united in order to face these key issues on the international agenda,” the Peruvian ambassador said.