Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during his speech in the VI CELAC Summit. Photo courtesy of Twitter.
On Saturday, September 18, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, proposed to create a new institutional framework of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to resume the path of regional intergration that had already begun to be built during the 2000s.
During his speech at the Sixth CELAC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Mexico City, the Venezuelan president stressed that the former councils of ministers had made proposals, and there was also a very valuable interregional dialogue that must be restarted.
President Maduro, without any previous announcement, arrived in Mexico City on Friday, September 17 just before midnight, after Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and Foreign Affairs Minister Félix Plasencia had already reached the Mexican capital on Friday afternoon.
In his speech, the Venezuelan president emphasized that the three most important councils of ministers within CELAC should be resume immediately:
• Social Council of Ministers : To address the issues of the pandemic and climate change
• Economic Council: It would be in charge of proposals such as trade integration and economic development treaty presented at the Summit.
• Political Council: The foreign affairs ministers of CELAC members would be in charge of maintaining the course and the rhythm of the organization.
In addition, President Maduro proposed creating a General Secretariat of CELAC to take the reins of regional unity and integration, which was the dream of its creators. “There is a contradiction between the OAS and the CELAC, it is the old contradiction between Monroeism and Bolivarianism, and the CELAC is our path,” he stressed.
"Set the place and date for a debate on democracy. Venezuela is ready," said Nicolás Maduro to the presidents of Paraguay and Uruguay (US lackeys) during his intervention in CELAC's summit taking place today in Mexico City. https://t.co/m3dMq5NAPG
— Venezuelanalysis (@venanalysis) September 18, 2021
“I propose that the construction of a General Secretariat of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States be evaluated clearly, with balance; which will have the power to take charge of the construction of what is the dream—what some of you have said,” he said.
#EnVivo 📹 | "Hay una contradicción entre la OEA y la CELAC, es la vieja contradicción del monroismo y el bolivarianismo y la CELAC es nuestro camino", dijo el jefe de Estado @NicolasMaduro proponer la constitución de una Secretaria General de la CELAC pic.twitter.com/y8QYuml4sp
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) September 18, 2021
Call for a debate on democracy
In his speech, President Maduro called on Luis Lacalle Pou, president of Uruguay, and Mario Abdo Benitez, president of Paraguay, for a debate on democracy as a challenge after both of them, in clear evidence of responding to Washington’s directions, criticized Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, with their own understanding of the meaning of democracy, which for them is governing for the elites.
“You set the place, you set the date for a debate, or President López Obrador can also set it,” said President Maduro. “Venezuela is ready to debate democracy, freedoms, resistance and revolution.” He expressed that it could be a public televised debate or a private one, and would discuss the contradictions in the understanding of democracy of the US lackeys.
RELATED CONTENT: Latin American & Caribbean Nations Gravitate Away from OAS, Closer to CELAC
President Maduro added that this debate must be conducted with respect and without exclusions. It is important to remember that Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay are currently ruled by extreme-right governments that belong to the almost defunct US-Canada led Lima Group.
https://twitter.com/madeleintlSUR/status/1439364239681101829
He stressed that the page of divisionism that was inserted in Latin America must be turned, and the attacks against the Bolivarian, Cuban and Nicaraguan Revolutions must end.
Invitation to Venezuela’s regional elections scheduled for November 21
President Maduro invited all CELAC member countries to visit Venezuela and observe the electoral campaign ahead of the November elections.
He added that the regional and municipal elections to be held on November 21 will be the 29th election in the period that Chavismo has governed the country, and that various sectors of the opposition will also be participating.
“It is the 29th election; we have won 26 with votes. The entire opposition has registered, whoever wins, wins,” he stressed.
Featured image: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during his speech at the CELAC Summit. Photo: Twitter
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
