An Alliance of Equals

by Fidel Castro Ruz

(March 22, Havana, Sri Lanka Guardian) ON the evening of Saturday the 19th, after a sumptuous banquet, NATO leaders ordered the attack on Libya.

Of course, nothing could happen without the United States reclaiming its obligatory role as supreme leader. From this institution’s command post in Europe, a high-level official announced that Odyssey Dawn was being initiated.

World public opinion was moved by the tragedy in Japan. The number of victims of the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear accident is still growing. There are already tens of thousands of people dead, missing or exposed to radiation. Opposition to the use of nuclear power will also increase.

The world is suffering, at the same time, the consequences of climate change; shortages and the high cost of food; military spending, the squandering of natural and human resources, continues to increase. A war was the last thing that should have occurred at this time.

Obama’s tour of Latin America has moved to the background, practically no one is addressing the issue. In Brazil, contradictions between the interests of the United States and this sister country have become evident.

It cannot be forgotten that Río de Janeiro competed with Chicago for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Obama wanted to ingratiate himself with the South American giant. He spoke of the "extraordinary rise of Brazil," which has captured international attention, and praised its economy as one of the most rapidly growing in the world. He did not, however, in any way pledge to support Brazil as a privileged permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

The Brazilian President did not hesitate to express her disagreement with the protectionist policies which the United States is implementing in Brazil, with tariffs and subsidies that constitute a major obstacle for the country’s economy.

The Argentine writer Atilio Boron affirmed that what most interests Obama "in his role as administrator of the empire is moving forward in controlling the Amazon Basin. The principal requirement of this project is hindering – stopping is no longer possible – the ever-increasing political and economic coordination and integration underway in the region which was so important in the defeat of the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) in 2005 and in frustrating the secessionist coup plots in Bolivia (2008) and Ecuador (2010). He also needs to try and sow discord among the more radical governments in the region (Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador) and the progressives – principally Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay..."

"For the most audacious U.S. strategists, the Amazon Basin, like Antarctica, is a freely accessible area, in which national sovereignties are not recognized..."

Tomorrow, Obama will travel to Chile. He arrives preceded by an interview in the daily newspaper El Mercurio, published on Sunday, in which he asserts that his speech "to all of Latin America" – as he called it – is founded on an "a partnership of equals" with Latin America, which practically takes our breath away remembering the "Alliance for Progress" which proceeded the mercenary Playa Girón [Bay of Pigs] expedition.

He said: "[...] our vision for the hemisphere is founded on the idea of an alliance of equals which I have pursued since assuming the Presidency of the United States."

"I will also emphasize concrete actions in which we can work together, such as economic growth, energy, security and human rights…

This vision, he said, has as its objective improving "common security, expanding economic opportunity, assuring a clean energy future and supporting the democratic values we share…

"Promoting a safe, stable and prosperous hemisphere, in which the U.S. and our allies share responsibilities in key issues on a regional and global level."

Everything, as can be seen, marvelously beautiful, worthy of a burial befitting Reagan’s secrets, to be revealed in 200 years. The problem is that, as the DPA news agency reported, according to a survey conducted by the daily newspaper

La Tercera "... in 2006 43% of the Chilean population opposed nuclear power plants."

"Two years later, opposition had risen to 52% and in 2010 it reached 74%." Now, after what has happened in Japan, opposition has risen to"... 86% among all Chileans..."

Only one question remains for Obama. Taking into account that one of his illustrious predecessors, Richard Nixon, promoted the coup d’état and the heroic death of Salvador Allende, the torture and assassination of thousands of people, will Mr. Obama ask the people of Chile for forgiveness?