Evo Morales: Obama is Disrespectful for Not Agreeing on Final Declaration

source TeleSur

“Obama will remember that the worst error he made was the decree against Venezuela,” said Morales in an exclusive interview with teleSUR.

Bolivian President Evo Morales, in an exclusive interview that aired on teleSUR Friday morning, affirmed that it is disrespectful of the United States and Panama to not approve a final declaration for the Summit of the Americas because of their disagreement with some of the proposed declaration’s points. According to Morales, it is because of these kinds of decisions that greater unity is being forged in CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean states, which exludes the U.S. and Canada).

“It would be good if Obama, who represents such an important country in America and the world were to make proposals that would allow us to unite and to convert ourselves into an America of peace, with social justice, and solidarity … because we cannot advance with a mentality that is patronizing, colonial, imperial, and with the policies of neoliberalism,” said Morales.
Obama's greatest mistake was to declare Venezuela an “extraordinary threat to national security,” which he considers to represent a form of aggression against Latin America. “Obama will remember that the worst error he made was the decree against Venezuela,” said Morales.

For a peaceful Latin America, it is necessary for the presidents to be united, which is why there will be a special meeting of presidents of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), to discuss their reaction to the U.S. government's decree, explained Morales. ALBA is the alliance of Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela, which was founded in 2004 by Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

According to Morales, the ALBA meeting is to agree on “how to engage in this great battle, ideological battle, a problematic battle, for our sovereignty at this Summit of the Americas.” Morales emphasized that the coordination between Venezuela and Bolivia has always been very strong, both during the presidency of Hugo Chavez and now with President Nicolas Maduro.
Morales went on to explain that the reason he participated in a demonstration in Venezuela on Thursday was to show his rejection of U.S. sanctions against Venezuela and that he was surprised to see that over 10 million Venezuelans had signed signatures calling for the repeal of Obama's executive decree declaring Venezuela to be a threat. “I came to to join with my signature … we are one family, we are the patria grande (greater homeland),” said Morales, referring to all of Latin America.

 “The best would be if Obama arrives (at the summit) with the decree repealed.” The reason that Obama has recently tried to back-pedal from the decree by saying that the U.S. does not consider Venezuela to represent a threat is probably to avoid being questioned about the decree at the Summit of the Americas, argued Morales. Morales highlighted that Venezuela is being supported by “everyone,” the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the G-77+China, and the non-aligned movement, among others. He also argued that the “U.S. divides us into good countries and bad countries … Those who submit to the empire … are the good countries.” Morales arrived in Panama Thursday evening in order to participate in the seventh Summit of the Americas, where he will also give a speech to indigenous peoples participating in the parallel People's Summit on Friday.

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