Chile President Sebastian Pinera, right, with Cuba President Raul

Castro, before handing over the presidency of the Community of

Latin American and Caribbean States to Castro, making him in

some sense the leader of the continent.

CELAC: 'The Big Loser is the U.S.; the Big Winner is Cuba' (Tercera Informacion, Spain)

"For me, one of the biggest winners in these summits, and this is a consensus, is undoubtedly Cuba, represented by General Raul Castro. Because the idea that he has reached the presidency of an organization encompassing all of Latin America and the Caribbean is something unexpected and exceptional. ... Such a thing has been achieved thanks only to the momentum created by Commandante Chávez as chief manager, promoter, inspirer and creator of the idea this great association."

-- Former Nicaragua Vice President Jaime Morales Carazo

By Pedro Ortega Ramirez

Translated By Miguel Gutierrez

February 4, 2013

Tercera Informacion - Spain - Original Article (Spanish)

Jacinto Suarez, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Nicaragua's National Assembly, is of the opinion that the new 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which pointedly excludes the United States, is a triumph for Latin American integration, for Hugo Chavez, and for independence from Washington. TELESUR TV, VENEZUELA [STATE-RUN]: Venezuela President Hugo Chavez in 'post operative phase' of cancer treatment, Feb. 1, 00:01:31

For Jacinto Suarez, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Nicaragua's National Assembly, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is proof that Latin America and the Caribbean have a unified voice, and it doesn't an imperial power to speak as a bloc.

"CELAC has created a new moment, not only in Latin America but the world. CELAC is Latin America speaking with its own voice, not only politically but in every sense of the word," Suarez said, in offering his assessment of the outcome of this regional summit in Chile, where the rotating presidency was handed to Cuba for the year.

And he also cites the presence of the European Union in Latin America as confirming that as a bloc, the E.U. is reformulating its economic relations with Latin Americans, "Latin America is becoming increasingly integrated."

Given the geopolitics of the situation, for the Sandinista legislator, the big loser in this context is the United States, which has been set back by the process of talks being held between CELAC and the E.U.

Obsolete Policy

"While everyone else is recognizing Cuba as president of CELAC, the United States continues to insist that Cuba doesn't exist. And even if it still supports [Argentine sovereignty] over the Malvinas, the U.S. goes on ignoring the fact that the big loser is the United States, while the big winner is Latin America," observed Suarez.

And when it comes to Cuba's assumption of the rotating CELAC presidency, Suarez said this is recognition the policy they have implemented against the Cuban people "is obsolete, is absurd, and has no reason to exist."

He said that granting the CELAC presidency to Cuba was no accident, but a direct message to the United States to reformulate its policy toward Cuba. "It can no longer ignore the existence of Cuba and be belligerent toward Cuba in the third world, in Latin America and Europe. "

Hugo Chavez the great creator of CELAC

Both Suarez and former Nicaragua Vice President Jaime Morales Carazo recognize Commandante Hugo Chavez Frias, the president of Venezuela, as the great promoter and creator of CELAC.

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

La Razon, Bolivia: Latin America Condemns Cuba Blockade; Elects Castro CELAC Chief

El Espectador, Colombia: Not All CELAC Nations Agree with Anti-Imperialist Chavez

El Universal, Venezuela: Hugo Chavez Declares Monroe Doctrine Dead

El Tiempo, Colombia: What Good is Our New, U.S.-Free 'Community'?

Estadao, Brazil: In Latin America, Rhetoric Triumphs Over Reality

La Razon, Bolivia: Latin America Has Excluded the U.S. So What Now?

ABC, Spain: Hugo Chavez Calls Terrorism Indictment a U.S.-Spanish Plot

Folha, Brazil: Latin American Unity Cannot Be Dependent on Excluding the U.S.

La Jornada, Mexico: Latin America's March Toward 'Autonomy from Imperial Center'

La Jornada, Mexico: Militarization of Latin America: Obama 'Ahead of Bush'

O Globo, Brazil: U.S. Navy Shows That What U.S. Can Do, Brazil Can Also Do

Clarin, Argentina: Resurrected U.S. Fourth Fleet Creates Suspicion Across South America

Le Figaro, France: U.S. Navy 'Resurrects' Fourth Fleet to Patrol Latin America

Semana, Colombia: Hugo Chávez Isn't 'Paranoid' to Fear the U.S. Marines

"President Chavez is the great author of all this and his presence at the summit, his message, clearly shows who the leader of Latin America is - even if his traditional enemies dislike it: Hugo Chavez. Hugo Chavez holds that leadership. He is the undeniable father of CELAC, and father of Latin American integration," Suárez assesses.

Posted By Worldmeets.US

Meanwhile, Morales Carazo is of the opinion that CELAC marks a historic step in the relationship of our continent with the world, establishing a bloc with 100 percent Latin American and Caribbean roots.

"For me, one of the biggest winners in these summits, and this is a consensus, is undoubtedly Cuba, represented by General Raul Castro. Because the idea that he has reached the presidency of an organization encompassing all of Latin America and the Caribbean is something unexpected and exceptional. Such a thing has been achieved thanks only to the momentum created by Commandante Chávez as chief manager, promoter, inspirer and creator of the idea this great association," Morales Carazo said.

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Posted By Worldmeets.US Feb. 4, 2013, 05:35pm