Declaration of the Conference: Militarism and Peace in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The NATO Summit in Brussels on Oct. 21-22, 2021, once again underscored NATO’s role as THE global military alliance. Latin America/Central America/Caribbean play an important role in this.
Latin America has been an important part of the militarization and rearmament trend in the world since the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014 and the US policy since 2009.

Key points of this militarization of the Latin American region are:

• NATO partnership agreements with Colombia and Brazil as „global partners.“
• Expansion of U.S. military bases in Peru, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Chile, Paraguay and Guantanamo in Cuba, among others; military bases of Great Britain, France and the Netherlands in the region.
• Use of military infrastructure of other Latin American countries (including Ecuador, Galapagos Islands).
• Establishment of new military bases in Colombia, Guyana, and the ABC Islands.
• Increase in military maneuvers by U.S. and NATO forces in Colombia, Brazil, and off the coasts of Venezuela, defined as a „pariah.“
• CIA funded mercenary operations in and against Venezuela and support for terrorist attacks.
• Continued training of Latin American militaries in the U.S., in other NATO countries, or by Latin American proxies.
• Growing arms exports by Western countries to Latin America.
• Exercise of governmental functions and economic power by senior military officers in many countries.
• Increasing subordination of civilian tasks to military command (fighting the drug mafia, opposition and emancipatory movements, and Corona politics).
• Sanctions and blockade policies against Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua with disastrous consequences.
• Cooperation of the military with paramilitary groups, organized crime and transnational corporations.
• Permanent attempts of a „regime change“ policy especially by the USA against progressive and left governments.

We say no to this comprehensive militarization.

Militarism includes violence against migrants, permanent destruction of the environment and ecological diversity by the military, repression and displacement of indigenous populations by the military, police and paramilitaries.

Our alternative is peace, disarmament and solidarity and a No to NATO.

• We demand an end to all foreign military bases, especially the torture hell of Guantanamo.
• We demand a return to a real policy of peace and reconciliation in Colombia and a full implementation of the peace agreement.
• We welcome the peace policy not only of the diverse social movements but also of the progressive governments of Latin America, among others, within the framework of the UN, especially the growing number of ratifications of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the Treaty of Tlatelolco for a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.
• We welcome the „Zone of Peace“ proclamation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Havana.
• We call for an end to all arms exports and police cooperation/agreements.
• We demand an end to all sanctions.
• We demand a fundamental change in peace, trade, „development“, financial and economic policies.

We will continue to work actively for this and demand this from politics!

We see a close connection between mass protests of the population, a progressive political turn and an independent and peaceful policy.

Our solidarity and support goes to this policy of peace, common security and disarmament.

Comprehensive peace is not conceivable without justice, without overcoming hunger and poverty.

That is why we also decisively say no to EU militarization and the aggressive policy of the EU and the EU Parliament against Cuba and Venezuela.

Solidarity is the basis of political successes of the peace and solidarity movements and of the left forces in Latin America and in Europe – it is our political and moral compass!

Frankfurt am Main, 24.10.2021

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)