Casa de las Américas: Facing the giant of the seven leagues, our unity

Havana, August 19 - Gunboat diplomacy is making a return to the Caribbean. Ships, planes, a submarine, and thousands of U.S. troops are being deployed in the region, this time under the guise of combatting drug trafficking and criminal groups that threaten the security of the United States. It would seem like a tired farce if it weren’t for the potential tragedy it could lead to. This news comes at the same time that the U.S. government, shamelessly and in violation of all norms of international coexistence, has placed a bounty on the head of the legitimate president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Simultaneously, Marco Rubio, in an interview published on the official State Department website, announces that his government will inevitably have to confront the “narcoterrorist regime” of Venezuela “with more than just rewards,” mentioning Colombia and its “erratic president” among the countries that must return to a state of absolute subordination.

Trump—who yearns for the Nobel Peace Prize while unwaveringly supporting the greatest genocide of our time—would love to claim the glory of being the gravedigger of the Bolivarian Revolution. Under such circumstances, it is our responsibility to denounce the shameless imperial warmongering and to resolutely support the people and government of Venezuela.

In such a dangerous moment, it is essential to continue working toward the unity of leftist forces in Our America. We cannot afford to fall into traps and manipulations that only benefit reactionaries and fascists. The predictable outcomes of the elections in Bolivia are a painfully close example of the costs of disunity. This is not about ignoring differences or remaining silent in the face of what is deemed wrong or arbitrary, even within the contradictions of a revolutionary process. The construction of unity undoubtedly requires debate and collective analysis of complex situations.

However, one thing is clear, and imperialism itself makes us remember it: for at least two hundred years, it has been the main enemy of the ideals of Bolívar and Martí. This enemy, this giant with seven leagues, must be confronted by all means without getting lost in discussions that would undermine the mission of the ships, planes, submarines, and the thousands of troops that threaten us. It is once again “the time for reckoning and united action.” (Text and Photo: Cubadebate)