A continent opposed to the use of force

BY MARÍA VICTORIA VALDÉS-RODDA, -Granma International staff writer-

THE majority of Latin American governments have declared their opposition to Anglo-U.S. aggression against the Iraqi people. In the same way, they are fighting for a reactivation of the UN Security Council as the only expedite way to find a solution to any difference with Baghdad, and centrally reclaiming the restoration of international law as opposed to unilateral decisions that could seriously compromise world peace.

In Greece, five European foreign ministers as well as a significant number of their Latin American counterparts (19 in total) agreed on March 28 to continue insisting on a peaceful response to current and future conflicts. A dispatch from AFP adds that there is nothing better to achieve this end than the immediate end of the U.S. so-called "war for democracy"; a war that worldwide consensus deems barbaric.

Chile and Mexico have once again been highlighted as two key voices in the region’s conscience, protected by the moral authority of being non-permanent members of the Security Council, opposed from the outset to the belligerency of Washington and London.

LATIN AMERICAN STRUGGLE IN THE HEART OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

The Chilean and Mexican representatives, after unsuccessfully attempting to put a brake on the war –deemed imminent since the middle of last month – lamented the war-mongering declarations of the White House.

Supporting this position, President Vicente Fox of Mexico adopted negotiation as the language of understanding as opposed to the use of force. "We are against the war," stressed the Mexican leader, "the use of force should be the last resort."

Prior to the announcement by George W. Bush and his British and Spanish allies that they would attack without UN approval, the Mexican president received the Spanish prime minister in a 24-hour flying visit to Mexico City, where he (unsuccessfully) tried to convince him of the unjust nature of the conflict.

Respected sections of the Mexican press such as Milenio, La Jornada and Siempre reiterated the prevalence of a pacifist position in Mexico’s foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Chilean president Ricardo Lagos wasted neither opportunities nor meetings to endorse the deployment of another group of international weapons inspectors as the best step towards Iraqi disarmament.

On March 12, he stated that despite the inevitability of the war, his country would continue to make every effort to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. "If this is not possible", he added, "I trust that the number of innocent civilian deaths is kept to a minimum and I remain adamant in my wish that the UN finds, from now on, a rapid end to the war."

Soledad Alvear, Chile’s foreign minister, spoke to the national press of efforts that had been made to avoid bloodshed. He emphasized the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and his Spanish and U.S. counterparts, Ana Palacio and Colin Powell.

FIRM OPPONENTS

"I deeply regret the attack on Iraq, particularly because it has been carried out without the express authorization of the UN Security Council and because multilateralism is the legitimate way to search for a solution to the crisis between the United States and Iraq," stated Brazilian President Lula Da Silva in a recent meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Mahatir Mohamed.

Likewise from Caracas, Hugo Chávez stressed that joint efforts to solve the problem peacefully should not be abandoned. This was his official position before the attack. Once the U.S. signal to attack the Arab country had been given, the Venezuelan president reiterated his "defense of the multilateral system and the UN Constitution in the face of genocide."

Demonstrations against the arrogance of Washington and its military and political allies have found an echo throughout the hemisphere, most notably in MERCOSUR and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

Both organizations reject the attack on Iraq and affirm that commitments made within the international organizations responsible for safeguarding the peace should not be violated by the unilateral opinion of any state. For them only plural and majority will has the right to decide in the name of the international community.

SOME ALLIES AND LATIN AMERICAN RESISTANCE TO THIS POSITION

Despite extensive popular support for peace and a large No! to war, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua and El Salvador released a joint statement on March 19 backing Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Likewise, the presidents of Bolivia and Colombia, Gonzálo Sánchez de Lozada and Alvaro Uribe respectively, gave their backing warmongering proposals of those two powers.

Faced with the lamentable opinion of the Colombian president, local daily El Tiempo stated "the law exists as a civilized way to end situations like these and no country or trio of countries can assume the right to play the role of avengers for the world."

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, 1978 Nobel Peace Prize winner, went further saying, "The war against Iraq has a conductive thread to the Latin American situation. Hegemonic policies like this march over the people and the consequences for Latin America will be seen in re-militarization, Plan Colombia and the Plan Puebla-Panama: the imposition of U.S policy in the region." He urged the people of Latin America to unite in a new way of politics.

Guatemalan amongst the first victims

22-year-old José Gutiérrez, a U.S. immigrant of Guatemalan origin, was one of the first mortal victims in the attack of Iraq by his adopted country.

The Guatemalan consul in Los Angeles, Fernando Castillo, stated that since the conflict began he has received desperate calls from Guatemalan parents in the absence of news from their children.

21-year-old José Angel Garibay, the son of Mexicans resident in California, was also amongst those who died. His mother Simona fiercely criticized the conflict and appealed to Bush, "if you have any feelings for mothers like me, stop this war."

A study by the Pew Hispanic Center revealed that in 2001, 9.49% of the U.S. armed forces were of Latino origin. Alongside this fact came the revelation that in last century’s war on Viet Nam, 20% of the invading soldiers who lost their lives were of Latino origin.