Cuba Firmly Supports Bolivia’s Legitimate Government

Cuba Firmly Supports Bolivia’s Legitimate Government

SPANISH TEXT:
http://www.cubadebate.cu/index.php?tpl=design/especiales.tpl.html&newsid_obj_id=12498


HAVANA, Cuba, Sept 14 (acn) Cuban President Raul Castro issued a
statement on Saturday expressing concern on current developments in
Bolivia and reiterating Cuba’s firm support of the legitimate government
of Evo Morales.

In his statement, which was published by Cuban television, Raul Castro
said that political, economic and media pressures on the government of
Evo Morales threaten the South American country’s integrity*.
The statement denounces Washington’s interference with Bolivia’s
domestic affairs and reiterates that the situation taking place in that
country must be solved by the Bolivian people, according to the
principles of sovereignty, independence and self-determination.

Bolivia’s constitutional order and territorial integrity must be
respected, said Raul Castro in his statement.

Cuba also calls for continental solidarity with Bolivia, since the
developments in that country could lead to a dangerous escalation of
violence threatening peace and security in the continent, and
particularly in South America, which would only be useful to the enemies
of regional integration, the document reads.

Raul Castro recalls that Cuban workers are offering their services in all
nine Bolivian departments [divisions similar to counties or states], in an
effort to boost health and education programs in the benefit of the Bolivian
people. Among the achievements of the joint work of Cuban and Venezuelan
workers in Bolivia, illiteracy has been wiped out of 225 of all 327 municipalities, standing for 664,
000 citizens who already know how to read and write. The joint effort
expects to declare all 327 Bolivian municipalities free of illiteracy by
the end of the year.

Cuba reiterates its position to keep cooperating with Bolivia under the
principle of non-interference with that country’s internal affairs, and
as far as the government and the people of Bolivia welcome that
cooperation, the document reads.

The statement welcomes the most recent news about the re-establishment of
peace in the Bolivian department of Pando, the ongoing dialog and the
observance of decisions taken President Evo Morales.

The Cuban government also reiterates its full support of the legitimate
government of Evo Morales, who was elected and ratified President by
overwhelming majority. Cuba also reaffirms its solidarity with the
Bolivian people, concludes the statement by Cuban President Raul Castro.

Worldnews/lach/

*Although the term "integrity" in English is usually used to denote its first dictionary meaning: "strict compliance to an ethical standard" (Websters), it is used here to mean "the state of being whole or sound".... which in this case means respecting Bolivia's existing borders, not attempting to divide it up or encourage one section to secede!]