Interesting Fact

Mario Terán, the person who assassinated Che Guevara, had cataract surgery to correct his vision for free from a Cuban Doctor that was a part of project Miracle.

We resume today for live blogging from Latin America on the Move!
Day 2

The agenda continues with:
12:45 - 2:00 PM: RE-IMAGINING SOCIETY BY CONSTRUCTING POPULAR POWER - Julio Chavez
Moderator: Jim Brittain

2:00 - 3:15 PM: REORGANIZING THE PLURI-NATIONAL STATE IN BOLIVIA - Alex Borda-Rodriguez and Edgar Torres
Moderator: Alain Boutet

3:15 – 3:30 PM: HEALTH BREAK

3:30 - 4:45 PM: EL SALVADOR - UN NUEVO AMANECER - Marta Lilian Coto
Moderator: Tim Bood

4:45 – 5:00 PM: Closing Remarks

Question Period

Part 9

In the last eight months 5,000 hectares of land for growing drugs has been destroyed in Bolivia. When the US DEA left Bolivia they refused to offer any support, and instead removed all drug policing resources from Boliva. Yet, Bolivia is still able to reduce, and destroy drug crops.
-Edgar Torres

Will Expectations for Canada change in Cuba?

• In Short: no
• With the US talking of lifting sanctions, nothing still has changed.
  
• President Obama has not allowed US citizens to travel to Cuba.
• This prevents families in the US to visit their families in Cuba.
• These are the same sentiments that were in effect during the cold war
• We want to normalize relations with Cuba and the US.
• Cuba will present to the UN a resolution to condemn the Cuban Blockade, and a majority celebrates that.

- Teresita Vicente

Why is Venezuela and Brazil buying Weapons?

• Venezuela believes that war in Latin America is immanent.
• The councils of defence ministries in South America have drawn up plans for defending the region from a similar attack to what has happened in Iraq.

-Juan Carlos Coronado

• there are 5 american bases in Columbia.
• With the pretext of fighting drug trafficing, America could invade Central America for it's natural resources (gas, oil, water)

-Julio Chavez
(Standing Ovation)

Thank you very much for reading tonight, I hope this was helpful for you who were not able to be here tonight.
We shall resume tomorrow during selected periods of the symposium.

Cuban Ambassador to Canada; Teresita Vicente

Panel Speaks
part 8

Teresita Vicente:
Cuban Ambassador to Canada

• The Cuban Ambassador to Honduras was taken prisoner and beaten during the Military Coup in Honduras.
• The blockade has cost 93 billion in lost revenue to Cuba.
• Cuba is dedicated to Internationalism, and foreign aide, and it is part of the culture.
• Despite Cuba's foreign aide work, the US has tried to assassinate Fidel Castro more than 100 times.
• Cuba has a program with the Black Caucus of the American government to take and teach Black American students Medicine, to study to become doctors.

(Standing Ovation)

Norman Girvan

Panel Speaks
part 7

Norman Girvan:
University of the West Indies

"I was a young man of 18 at the start of the Cuban revolution, and for my generation in the Caribbean it was a source of inspiration for us to see a country chart its own path and territory by relying on the will and strength of its people, refusing to bow to threats from the greatest militaristic country in the world."
2008

Marta Coto

Panel Speaks
part 6

Marta Lilian Coto: (translated)
FMLN Deputy for El Salvador in the Central American Parliament

• June 1st, the new FLMN government re-established contact with the government of Cuba.
• This political co-operation has helped El Salvador
• Since the peace accords in 1992, the FMLN became the primary opposition in the government of El Salvador, to a capitalist government that used a neoliberal model which increased poverty in El Salvador.
  
• This right-wing government refused equality for citizens
• Cuba continued to offer support to El Salvador, even while it had a right-wing government, which refused the support.
• Local El Salvadorian FMLN governments took the aid from Cuba, especially medical aide in combating pneumonia, and Mission Miracle.
• The FMLN has also started the Yes I can reading program.
• The goals of the FMLN is to help and support the poorest in El Salvador, so that they can grow and prosper.
• They are also fighting organized crime which thrived under the right wing governments of the past.
  

"I would like to take the time to denounce the coup d'etat in Honduras. This is an enormous step back from the democratic growth that has happened in Central America."
-Marta Coto

(Standing Ovation)

Juan Carlos Coronado

Panel Speaks
part 5

Juan Carlos Coronado: (translated)
Charges d'Affaires

• When Hugo Chavez came to power, he looked to Cuba for inspiration on how to increase literacy and health care.
• Venezuela has the benefit of large deposits of Petroleum.
• Venezuela offered to trade its oil for aide from Cuban Internationalism in increasing Literacy, and Quality of life.
• With Mission Robinson, Sucre, literacy and education has made High School level education acessable across the country.
• Mission Miracle was created in conjunction with Cuba, and was so successful it was exported to other countries.
• These agreements have had huge benefits to Venezuelans, Cubans and Latin Americans alike.