President Daniel Ortega at G77 + China in Havana (Speech)

Address by President-Comandante Daniel at the G77+China Summit in Havana, Cuba September 15th 2023

Cuban brothers and sisters, women and men, young people and children, of these Heroic Families who have been confronting, resisting and defeating the blockade for 60 years now… Of course they have! Beloved brother, President Miguel Diaz-Canel; Raul, brother, Compañero. Because the clear objective of the Empire has been to overthrow Cuba, to destroy the Socialist Model that is infinitely Just, out of Solidarity with its People and with the Peoples of the World.
The fact is that the President of the United States has approved another year of the blockade, they do so thinking that this People will be demoralized, when in fact this is a People that has fought a thousand battles, guided by the genius and strength of Martí, and then guided by the genius and heroic leadership of Comandante Fidel Castro who is here among us, he is here among us, for sure, Fidel. And Fidel reminds us with his words about the way ahead, and that way is to resist, even in the midst of the harsh conditions, of the damage suffered from the perspective that the Human Rights of an entire People are being harmed, in fact they are being murdered by this criminal blockade.

In fact, the truth is that Cuba manages to resist and in the midst of their resistance they are establishing initiatives such that with their own resources and with the solidarity of fraternal Peoples they can continue to win the battle, because the Battle of Cuba is our Battle, and the Victory of Cuba is our Victory. Greetings from the Nicaraguan people to the brotherly People of Cuba, to President Miguel Diaz-Canel who shared the trenches in Nicaragua combating the Yankee aggression for ten years.
This Meeting, this Summit, of the Group of 77 and China, shows precisely that they have not succeeded in killing, the imperialists, the colonialists of the Earth, have not been able to kill the fighting spirit, the dignity of the Peoples of the World. And here we are saying we are taking up the challenge, to do what? To move ahead with a united Spirit, one of Unity, and with the willingness to share what everyone manages to develop, so that we can create a pole of economic and social development, with Sovereignty. Since by defending Sovereignty we are also guaranteeing Peace, in order to make progress on all these points contained in the Havana Declaration on the Current Challenges of Development.

Exactly today, September 15th, the 202nd Anniversary of the Independence of Central America is being commemorated in Central America, it was in the year 1821. And not even 35 years passed before the Yankee expansionists were already invading Nicaragua, even appointing a Yankee filibuster, William Walker, as President. Yes, he appointed himself President, he shot dead the very people who had invited him.
There were disputes among the American companies about the Canal route through Nicaragua, and that made them voracious, bringing troops, mercenaries with combat experience of course, with the modern weapons of the time, to occupy Nicaragua and to impose Elections. And so, William Walker, was elected President of Nicaragua, with the Yankee Ambassador, sitting there, ratifying it.

Walker wanted to take over Central America, and the first thing he decreed was to impose slavery in Nicaragua, when already with Independence the forms of slavery that had existed in Central America had disappeared. And the Yankee arrived 35 years later, in the 1850s, 1855, to impose slavery, but rebellion came about, the unity of the People came about, and the unity of the Central American Peoples came about, because this was a Battle that was fought via the Unity of the Central American Peoples which made it possible for the invader to be defeated.

And on September 14th 1856, they suffered the first defeat that inspired the Nicaraguan soldiers and the Central American soldiers, in a hacienda, where indigenous archers from communities in Matagalpa, along with Nicaraguan patriots, with fewer numbers than the troops that Walker had sent to the hacienda, went ahead and started fighting, and during the combat one soldier, Andrés Castro, ran out of ammunition, and what did he do? He took a stone and threw it at the attacking soldier, and knocked him down!

So yesterday we commemorated the 167th Anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto and Nicaragua’s people, it is clear, are convinced that we cannot abandon those Principles, nor can we abandon the decision and the example of Andrés. And we say now and we say to that hero Andrés Castro: 167 years distant, and as all of us here know, the enemy is the same, the very same, wanting to take over our Peoples, our Nations, wanting to impose their hegemony in the World.

We see how they launch themselves against Nations that do not have a hegemonic policy, and who do not make threats, such as the People’s Republic of China, how they have assailed the People’s Republic of China, simply because it irritates them that a Nation like the People’s Republic of China approaches the Peoples in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, not to impose conditions, not to impose sanctions, but to contribute to the progress and well-being of our Peoples.

We have an ally there, willing to cooperate, out of Solidarity, bearing in mind these approaches, we have already listened to the representative of President Xi, and so here now the question is how to turn these statements into actions. Because undoubtedly we are taking initiatives to resist, like those the Cuban People are taking, like those we have taken in Nicaragua, in Nicaragua we are working, with our People, with our Youth, convinced that we have conditions to be able to make progress in all fields, naturally not at the speed with which developed countries, powerful countries do, but to make progress, and to win the battle for Sovereignty every day.

I would like to refer here to the draft Havana Declaration on Current Development Challenges, on the role of Science, Technology and Innovation. And what do we say there? We reaffirm the commitment to strengthen the Unity and Solidarity of this Group in order to achieve its objectives and to strengthen its role.

What does this document affirm? We understand that it has already been accepted, and we agree with the Document. It means that the principle of what that Mexican Hero Benito Juárez enunciated is being respected, when he said: ”Peace is respect for the rights of others”.

And here in this Document, knowing that we each have our own characteristics, each country has its own characteristics and ideology, different ideologies, here we are transcending that and we are reaching Agreements based on that Principle of Respect for the Rights of others; without imposing conditions.

We note, we say, with deep concern that the main challenges generated by the current International Economic Order that is unfair to Developing Countries, has reached its most acute expression at present, due, among other things, to the persistent negative effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, despite the fact that the WHO has lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Importance (PHEIC) due to COVID 19, to geopolitical tensions, to unilateral coercive measures and to the multiple current crises, including the economic and financial crisis. The fragility of the global economic outlook, the increasing pressure on food and energy, the displacement of people, high mortality, market volatility, inflation, monetary adjustment, the growing burden of external debt, the increase in extreme poverty, the increase in inequalities within and between countries, the adverse effects of Climate Change, the loss of biodiversity, desertification, sand and dust storms, environmental degradation, as well as the digital gap, until now, there is no clear road map to address these global challenges.

That is what we are committing ourselves to, in other words, we are admitting that, as Cacique Moctezuma said, when the Spaniards were holding him prisoner, torturing him, he said: Am I in a bed of roses? We are not in a bed of roses and here we are saying so, understanding that this draft has already been approved, here we are saying so, we are not in a bed of roses, we are in an unequal world, where capitalist hegemony is oppressing us.

We also say that we reiterate the firm conviction that all States and interested parties should collectively devote themselves to the achievement of cooperation for global development and scientific and technological development that benefits us all, based on broad consultations, joint conclusions and shared benefits, which can bring enormous benefits to all countries and all parts of the World in building a community with a shared Future for Humanity.

Mind you, that is a great challenge, a great challenge, because it is about fighting selfishness; because among ourselves if suddenly one feels in better conditions then they no longer see the other, they have already forgotten about the other. The human nature that is current as a result of the practice of capitalist, neoliberal policies, is reflected in our Peoples, it is reflected in the behavior of our States, of our Governments, not all of them, but these are realities.
Then we say that, we reject the imposition of Laws and Regulations with extraterritorial impact. Cuba is a reality that is in plain sight and one which we all condemn there at the United Nations. We stress that such actions do more than undermine the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and International Law.

Here in Latin America, in fact, at the moment there are three countries that are targeted by the United States rulers who go on succeeding one other, and of the European rulers, of the European Union: Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. They even go so far as to discuss whether or not President Nicolás Maduro will be able to enter for such and such a Meeting, because there are threats within those countries that they are going to accuse him, that they are will prosecute him, that they are going to put him in prison. That means we are not in a bed of roses.

That is why I see here a firm, courageous, dignified position on the part of those of us who are integrated into what is known as the Group of 77+1. Because committing ourselves to joining efforts and with the technological issue being a central issue here, we also say that we have to reject technological monopolies and other unfair practices that hinder technological development.

Likewise, when we talk about the Environment and all the rest, naturally we are in agreement and we are going to approve this Document. But as a Colleague also explained when she said: Well, what are we going to do? What steps are we going to take so that what we are agreeing on here in Havana today becomes a reality? And where does that take us? It takes us back to the principle of respect for the rights of others, because if we do not respect the rights of others we begin to fight among ourselves, we begin to confront each other.

In other words, we cannot go around looking for the straw in our neighbor’s eye, because we all have problems, we all have difficulties; there are complex situations in all our countries. As a matter of principle, we do not get involved in the situations that arise in sister Nations; or rather, we react 

only when we find attitudes that we have otherwise known only among the US rulers and in the European Parliament, the European Community.

So, that’s a Principle, to get us all closer, to unite us all and to make a Work Agenda where we can already take some policies to the next United Nations Meeting, which we is practically already upon us, and we can take some approaches, starting from this Declaration, and based on the Declaration make a call there at the United Nations, so that first we are respected and so let us be at Peace, let us live in Peace, because that is the only way to solve our problems.

Because we have the capabilities, our peoples have the capabilities and they have the intelligence, to do what? To overcome problems, but only if they leave us alone, so let them leave us alone, we have to tell the powers that be to leave us alone, and you will see how we are going to develop all these Programs, how we will make what we are enunciating here a reality.

I must tell you, beloved brothers and sisters, beloved compañeros and compañeras, from the Peoples of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, who are present at this Meeting, that Nicaragua is in all readiness, and we are surviving thanks to the fact that we are already convinced that we must give practical answers, in terms of productive activity, or to the demands in the field of Communication, to the extent of our possibilities but without giving up and to go on supporting ourselves out of our own strength, because united as Nicaraguans and united all of us, we are sure that we will make these Statements of the Havana Declaration a reality, in relation to the Current Challenges of Development, the role of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Thank you, beloved brothers and sisters.