A declaration demanding “the common struggle for sovereignty, democracy, sustainable development and the guarantee of all human rights for all our citizens” ended the Meeting of Social and Political Movements that preceded the Summit of the CELAC. This Manifesto of Santo Domingo, signed by all the participating organizations and personalities from the continent, will be delivered this Wednesday to the Heads of State of the CELAC.
Santo Domingo Declaration
The social movements and political organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean, having come together on January 23 and 24, 2017 in the city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, subscribe the present document of fervent support to the 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States –CELAC– , in the hope that it will contribute even more to the consolidation and strengthening of that important mechanism of coordination and joint action of our countries, in defense of the interests and rights of its nations and peoples.
CELAC is a beam of hope for us, Latin American and Caribbean countries, who must coordinate efforts to jointly combat the great evils we endure, such as: poverty, hunger, unemployment, lack of access to health services, education and worthy dwellings, inequality of gender and violence against girls and women, violation of the most elementary rights, cultural and media war, lack of security for the citizens, the scourge of drugs, neoliberal policies, illegal and depredatory actions of multinational enterprises, environmental destruction, unequal exchange and obstacles to counter-hegemonic communication, among others.
We add our militant effort to the common struggle for national sovereignty, democracy, sustainable development and the guarantee of all human rights for all our citizens. This becomes more essential when the rightist offensive in the continent and the recent coming in office of the United States president increase the risk that, next to his hegemonic, misogynist, racist, xenophobic and imperialist preaching, the threats of aggression characteristic of the old “big stick” policy and the interventionism that have brought so much tragedy to our peoples along history will increase and be implemented.
We denounce as militants those earnest threats, we call to be alert, to develop the most determined solidarity and unity among our peoples, and claim spaces for the dialogue between the governments and the social movement to face those challenges and others.
We endorse the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as Peace Zone, as agreed in 2014 by the Heads of State and Government at the Second Summit of CELAC.
We reject the establishment of military bases by countries and organizations that do not belong to our region, the reactivation of the Fourth Fleet, the implementation of a new Condor Plan, the joint military drills with foreign powers and organizations such as NATO, and demand the withdrawal of the MINUSTAH from Haiti, first country to rise against colonial domination with which we are in permanent solidarity.
We condemn the criminalization of the social protest and the persecution against progressive governments, organizations and leaders by paramilitary groups. In this regard, we demand the freedom of MP Milagro Salas and political fighter Simón Trinidad, and demand justice in the case of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa.
We support the resistance and struggle for the independence of Puerto Rico, still absent from CELAC, and celebrate the pardon granted to Oscar López Rivera, a fruit of the battle waged by his people and of the international solidarity in favor of his liberation.
We firmly support the sovereignty of the Argentinean Republic over the Malvinas (Falkland), South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding sea spaces.
We join the world demand for the immediate and non-conditioned annulment of the genocidal blockade against the brotherly Republic of Cuba by the government of the United States, and the return of the occupied territory of the Guantánamo Naval Base.
We express our non-conditioned support to the Bolivarian Revolution and to the legitimate government led by President Nicolás Maduro. We demand the repeal of the meddling Executive Order of the United States Government that considers Venezuela a threat to its national security.
We salute the recent election victory of the Sandinista Front in Nicaragua and the reelection of President Daniel Ortega. We alert on the attempt to undermine the stability of the government of El Salvador.
We demand the urgent need to eliminate poverty, hunger and social inequality in order to construct just and inclusive societies, that ensure access to health services for all, public, free and quality education, to a worthy dwelling without compulsory eviction, a worthy job and respect to the labor conquests and rights, the promotion of culture and identity, opportunities for the youth and students, and the effective participation of the people. We express our solidarity with the struggles of teachers and students in the entire region, including the educational reforms.
We support the efforts of the Colombian people to attain peace with social justice after five decades of bloody war, within the framework of the agreements obtained between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP, and of the opening of the dialogue with members of the National Liberation Army. The peace in Colombia is the peace of the continent.
We are guided by the unequivocal conviction that the most effective resource is the unity of nations and peoples, and in that spirit we reiterate our militant commitment to make as many efforts are required to awaken that popular force and thus create an impenetrable barrier against the pretensions of the United States imperialism and its allies.
The advance toward the conquest of our definitive national and social liberation which continues to be pointed out from immortality by the guides and forerunners of that cause, encourages us to adopt the present Declaration and subscribe it with the highest spirit of Latin American and Caribbean solidarity, eternally committed with the legacy of the undefeated Commanders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez and inspired by the heroic resistance of women like Mamá Tingó, the Mirabal sisters and all our heroes and martyrs from the Great Fatherland.
Santo Domingo, January 24, 2017
Signed:
Campaña Dominicana de Solidaridad con Cuba – CDSC
(Dominican Campaign of Solidarity with Cuba – CDSC)
Comité Dominicano de Solidaridad con la Revolución Bolivariana
(Dominican Committee of Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution)
Articulación Nacional Campesina – ANC
(National Farmers’ Network– ANC)
Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos – CNDH
(National Human Rights Commission – CNDH)
Confederación Nacional Unidad Sindical – CNUS
(National Confederation of Trade Union Unity – CNUS)
Federación de Transporte la Nueva Opción – FENATRANO
(Transport Federation la Nueva Opción – FENETRANO)
Unión de Trabajadores Cañeros – UTC
(Union of Sugar Cane Workers – UTC)
Confederación Nacional de Mujeres del Campo – CONAMUCA
(National Confederation of Countryside Women – CONAMUCA)
Asociación Nacional de Enfermería – ASONAEN
(National Association of Nursery – ASONAEN)
Centro de Solidaridad para el Desarrollo de la Mujer – CE MUJER
(Center of Solidarity for the Development of Women – CE MUJER)
Cooperativa de Producción Social de la Vivienda – COOPHABITAT
(Social Production Cooperative for Dwellings – COOPHABITAT )
Justicia Climática
(Climatic Justice)
Frente Estudiantil Flavio Suero – FEFLAS
(Students´ Front Flavio Suero – FEFLAS)
Movimiento de Mujeres Trabajadoras – MMT
(Movement of Women Workers – MMT)
Movimiento de Trabajadores Independientes – MTI
(Movement of Independent Workers – MTI)
La Multitud
(The Multitude)
Juventud Caribe
(Caribbean Youth)
Fundación Francisco Alberto Caamaño
(Francisco Alberto Caamaño Foundation)
Corriente Magisterial Juan Pablo Duarte
(Juan Pablo Duarte Teaching Trend)
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo – UASD
(Autonomous University of Santo Domingo – UASD)
Asamblea de los Pueblos del Caribe – APC
(Caribbean Peoples’ Assembly – APC)
Federación Sindical Mundial, América Latina y el Caribe – FSM
(World Federation of Trade Unions, Latin America and the Caribbean- WFTU)
ALBA Movimientos
(ALBA Movements)
CLOC – Vía Campesina
(CLOC – Farmers’ Path)
Grito de los Excluidos/as Caribe
(Shout of the Excluded Men and Women / Caribbean)
Campaña Cero Desalojos – AIH
(Zero Eviction Campaign – AIH)
Partido Comunista del Trabajo – PCT
(Communist Workers’ Party – PCT)
Movimiento Patria para Todos – MPT
(Fatherland for All Movement – MPT)
Movimiento Rebelde – MR
(Rebel Movement – MR)
Fuerza de la Revolución – FR
(Force of the Revolution – FR)
Círculos Caamañistas
(Caamaño Circles)
Camina RD
(Walk, DR)
Fuerza Juvenil Dominicana – FJD
(Juvenile Dominican Force –FJD)
Ligas Populares – LP
(Popular Leagues – LP)
Unión del Barrio
(Unity of the Neighborhood)
Marcha Patriótica
(Patriotic March)
Unión de los Trabajadores de Trinidad y Tobago
(Workers’ Union of Trinidad and Tobago)
Comité de Solidaridad con Cuba de Guyana
(Guyana Solidarity Committee with Cuba)
Sindicato Petrolero de Trinidad y Tobago
(Oil Workers´ Trade Union of Trinidad and Tobago)
Organización de Solidaridad de los Pueblos de África, Asia y América Latina – OSPAAAL
(Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America – OSPAAAL)
Organización Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Estudiantes – OCLAE
(Latin American and Caribbean Continental Student Organization – OCLAE)
Alianza Internacional de Habitantes
(International Alliance of Inhabitants)
Other movements and political and social forces from the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia and the United States.
