South America

The United States today suspended their operations at the Manta military base, located on the Ecuadorian coast and is starting a process of definitive withdrawal from the facility it has occupied since 1999. Minister of Defence, Javier Ponce said that this is the start of the end until the installation is physically handed back.

Avaaz.org, a community made up of three million citizens, is calling on all residents of Latin America to sign a declaration which is to be sent to the negotiating table for the political conflict in Honduras. A formal request will be submitted to Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica, “[in order for] the parties involved to be aware that the people of Latin America will only accept a political resolution based on democratic principles”.

Pressenza rediscovers an article from the Brazilian religious activist Frei Betto in which he makes a surprising proposal regarding the devolution of occupied territories. For the former consultant and personal friend of Lula and Fidel Castro, the USA should not only withdraw their troops from Iraq, but also return Texas, California and Arizona to Mexico, and Puerto Rico to the Puerto Ricans, in addition to returning the Guantanamo Naval base to the Cubans.

Last July 2nd, the Brazilian President sanctioned a new law which benefits an estimated 50,000 foreigners living illegally in the country. During the signing of the new law, President Lula criticized the anti-immigration policy adopted by richer countries which restrain immigrants’ rights.
*”All we want is for Brazilians living abroad to be treated in the same way we treat immigrants here in Brazil”*, said Lula.

Soka Gakkai International (SGI) has promoted a worldwide campaign to ban nuclear weapons and has just launched a DVD and a book including testimonies of Japanese women who survived nuclear bombings that hit Japan during the Second World War. Their testimonies of the horror of nuclear bombings call attention to the clear present danger.

The president of the World Peace Council, Socorro Gomes, in an exclusive interview for Pressenza talks about the current campaigns of her organization and demands the withdrawal of troops from invaded countries and the end to military bases.

The month of June has brought sad news, as three members of the global movement against gun violence were on the Air France flight that went missing on 1 June while flying from Brazil to France.

In Peru, lawmakers have temporarily suspended two land-use laws that led to an indigenous uprising and dozens of deaths in the ensuing police crackdown.

Spokespersons from the Humanist Movement have planned protests in front of Peruvian embassies to condemn violent tactics used against the Amazon people after the massacre of indigenous people in Bagua brought on by the actions of the Peruvian government.

Tabaré Vazquez is the fifth Latin-American President to promote the campaign of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, following his peers in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina.