Source: Venezuelanalysis.com
Caracas, August 6, 2007 – In a record breaking eight-hour session of Aló Presidente Sunday, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, speaking from the presidential palace of Miraflores, called for a global “alliance of civilizations” to resist the attacks of US imperialism. Chavez also officially announced he will visit Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador this week with the aim of strengthening Latin American integration.
Addressing a range of diplomatic representatives from Latin America and international guests, including a US delegation from Veterans for Peace, Ronald Lumumba, (the son of Pratrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, assassinated by the CIA), and Abdul Hakim Nasser (son of Arab nationalist leader Gamal Abdul Nasser), Chavez emphasized, “Only an alliance of civilizations will save the world from imperialism.”
“It is vital to impel in the world an alliance of nations that resists the attacks of imperialism,” he continued.
“Such union of nations would have to contain to civilizations such as the Chinese, the Russian, the Hindu, the Islamic civilization, and the Latin American," he declared, "I would also add the African."
"It is necessary to accrue social, political forces and to create a critical mass in the world, that can become a counter-power to respond to the imperialistic avalanche."
He also described as “madness” a potential US invasion of Iran, which he categorized as “the final stage of imperial neoliberalism.”
"Hopefully the aspiring presidential canditates of the U.S.A. and the people of that country, manage to restrain the madness of the empire" he continued.
“It would be better if the American Government took care of its own people.” Lamenting the collapse of a bridge across the Mississippi river last Wednesday, Chávez demanded that the US government use its scientific development for the benefit of its own citizens and not against the rest of the nations of the world.
On the other hand, he thanked Jack Ellis, mayor of the city of Macon, Georgia, in the US, for sending a declaration of solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, describing it as "within the framework of a human interchange and positive character. All is not lost.” He added, “There are social organizations which rise and which will impel the change that the world requires."
Accusing the US of interfering and impeding Venezuela’s bid for full membership of Mercosur, Chavez warned of “agents of imperialism,” who work across Latin America against the growing integration of the people.
Chavez denied he had imposed an ultimatum on the Brazilian congress to ratify Venezuela’s entry into Mercosur, “It was not an ultimatum, but rather a time of waiting, not for the Brazilian congress, rather for Venezuela, because we have lost much time” he explained.
He also thanked the efforts of the Foreign Minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim, to encourage the Brazilian congress to approve the incorporation of Venezuela into Mercosur.
Reiterating the need for Latin American integration, Chavez assured that Venezuela would also continue working within the framework of ALBA, as "that is the best way to fight against imperialism and capitalism that sucks blood" and he said, coining a new word, the “Draculism,” of the US empire.
Outlining further projects for Latin American integration, Chavez indicated that during his four-nation tour of Latin America this week, he would sign an agreements to construct a processing plant for extracting liquid gas in Bolivia, as well as an oil refinery in Ecuador.
He also announced a further issuing, jointly with Argentina, of Bonds of the South, the third issuing after US$1.5 billion were issued in February of this year.
At the same time he spoke about the Bank of the South and raised the possibility of bringing in five countries from Africa and five from South America to create the foundation of the institution, in which each nation would contribute according to its capacity. However, he insisted it is insufficient for each country to contribute US$100 million. “If we do this, we do it seriously,” he said.
It was possible that Venezuela could allocate all of its international reserves to the Bank of the South, he said, however, “If it seems dangerous to some nations, then they could contribute only half.”
"Although the Bank of the South does not yet exist as an institution,” he said the Bonds of the South issued jointly by Argentina and Venezuela are a step towards the creation of this financial organization.
During a live feed with the Venezuelan municipality of San Francisco, the San Francisco Integral Diagnostic Center (CDI) was inaugurated as part of Mission Barrio Adentro II. 34 other CDI’s were also inaugurated simultaneously, as well as 59 rehabilitation centers, bringing the total number of CDIs opened during the four years Mission Barrio Adentro’s existence to 353, with a final aim of six-hundred CDI’s.
Chavez also referred to other achievements of the community health program, announcing that Mission Barrio Adentro has carried out 244 million consultations, 26.9 million dental consultations, and has saved 50,200 lives.
Chavez also spoke of the upcoming constitutional reform, explaining aspects of his proposal include the incorporation of the missions (social programs) into the Constitution. He emphasized once again that, “only the people will decide the changes in the constitution, which is why it is necessary to activate a consultative referendum.”