Politics

Guillermo Sullings, economist and spokesperson for the Humanist Movement in Argentina, spoke at the II International Conference on the abolition of military bases, held in Buenos Aires. He stated the main proposals of the World March for Peace and Non-Violence, which is passing through Latin America today, and referred to the role of international organisations.

Different residents from the communities of San Marcos walked with the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. The residents made their concerns known to the Base Team of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence about acts committed by the transnational company Union Fenosa in the department of San Marcos in Guatemala.

In response to a question by SF Dail Deputy Caoimhghin O Caolain, the Minister for Defence Mr. Willie O’Dea TD admitted that the annual cost to the Irish people to have 7 Irish soldiers taking part in the war and occupation of Afghanistan was €270,000.
Roger Cole, Chair of Peace and Neutrality Alliance, responds to him here.

Having obtained 63% of the votes among the 5.1 million eligible voters in Bolivia and 168,000 voters living outside Boliva, Morales becomes the most popular and most re-elected President. With this mandate, the first Assembly will allow Morales to draft an indigenous Constitution and reform institutions to reflect the will of the people as demonstrated by the election results.

Manuel Zelaya criticized the position of various governments, among them the United States, for supporting the efforts to “whitewash” the coup d’etat of June 28. In a letter to presidents of the Americas, to the OAS and to the UN, Zelaya referred to the countries that recognized the election carried out in Honduras under the de facto regime.

The conference was held from Monday November 30th to Wednesday December 2nd in the Centro Cultural de la Cooperación (Cultural Center of Cooperation) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The speakers, hailing from the spheres of academia, politics, and culture, gave talks on various aspects of the issue of foreign military bases in Latin America.

In a tribute to Martin Luther King from the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, Tomas Hirsch honors Dr. King’s dream. Mr. Hirsch spoke at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, and referred to present dreams for a world without nuclear weapons and without wars. He declares his disappointment for President Obama’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Members of the international team of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence met with US Congressman Dennis Kucinich on Capitol Hill as well as staff members of Congressman John Lewis, Congressman Keith Ellison and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Congressman Lewis was to introduce a resolution in support of the World March to Congress that afternoon.

The Obama administration is moving further away from its stated support for the reinstatement of the ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Porfirio Lobo, a wealthy landowner, emerged victorious with 55 percent of the vote. Zelaya’s supporters boycotted the election, and many Latin American countries have refused to recognize its outcome.

A Western Saharan human rights activist is in the third week of a hunger strike after being deported against her will by Moroccan authorities occupying her homeland. Aminatou Haidar, known as the “Sahrawi Gandhi,” is at the airport on the Canary Islands and is demanding that she be allowed to return to home. Morocco has occupied most of Western Sahara since 1975.