Page 39 - HOH 16 MAY 2017

10
Curaçao
Morgen bespreekt de Tweede Kamercommissie voor Buitenlandse Zaken met de ministers Bert Koenders en Ronald Plasterk de situatie in Venezue-
la en de impact daarvan op Curaçao, Aruba en Bonaire. Venezuela’s zaakgelastigde in Den Haag, Alvaro Sánchez Cordero, vreest dat er in het debat
een te eenzijdig beeld van zijn land wordt geschetst.
Venezuela will defend its sovereignty
OPINIE
By Alvaro Sánchez Cordero
In 1999, when a progressive
revolution came to power in
Venezuela and President
Chavez was elected, a whole
new vision for the country was
put in place. The vast majority
of Venezuelans, who had hi-
therto been ostracized, depoliti-
cized, disenfranchised, exploi-
ted, socially excluded and discri-
minated against, were finally
included and empowered into a
new democratic model that was
both representative and partici-
patory. The net result was a new
sovereign nation in full control
of its natural resources, with a
new Constitution, and a leaders-
hip able to equally distribute oil
revenues in a more fair and
efficient manner that ultimately
produced highly positive social
and human results, such as:
four million people lifted out of
poverty, free and universal ac-
cess to medical health and edu-
cation, the eradication of illitera- Ͳ >ĞŝĚŝŶŐŐĞǀĞŶĂĂŶŵĞĚĞǁĞƌŬĞƌƐͬŽŶĚĞƌĂĂŶŶĞŵĞƌƐ
cy, access to potable water, three
million pensioners and almost
two million social houses,
among other achievements.
Of course, such progress
came with a price tag. The US
Government, intensely hostile
to Venezuela’s socialist govern-
ment controlling its own oil
(Venezuela has the largest oil
Cursus van
stichting
Alzheimer
Van een onzer verslaggevers
Willemstad - De stichting Alz-
heimer Curaçao heeft als doel de
levenskwaliteit van mensen die
lijden aan dementie te verhogen.
Ook verlenen zij steun aan de fa-
milie en verzorgenden door het
geven van informatie. Ook in
mei worden weer verschillende
activiteiten georganiseerd. De
stichting organiseert een cursus
voor mensen die zorgen voor
een persoon met dementie. De
cursus bestaat uit vier dagdelen
en geeft informatie over de ziek-
te, over omgaan met een per-
soon met dementie, activiteiten
om te ondernemen met een de-
menterende en hoe voor jezelf te
zorgen als je zorg verleent. De
cursusdagen zijn 16, 18, 23 en
24 mei en de bijeenkomsten op
de Roodeweg 113 duren van
18.00 tot 20.00 uur. Kosten be-
dragen 50 gulden. Inschrijven
via alzheimercuracao@gmail of
4623900.
Alvaro Sánchez Cordero
reserve in the world), has been
very active destabilizing with
the ultimate aim to topple our
Government for the past 18
years. Though the list is practi- ce that we see in Venezuela
cally endless, the US has tried
every dirty trick in the book.
They have given full financial
backing and open political sup-
port to the Venezuelan right-
wing opposition’s violent and
unconstitutional efforts to oust
the democratically elected go-
vernment such as, a coup d’état,
an oil and business lock-out,
street barricades and hiring
Advertentie
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h/dsKZZ
tĞƌŬŽŵƐĐŚƌŝũǀŝŶŐ͗
Ͳ sŽŽƌďĞƌĞŝĚĞŶǀĂŶƉƌŽũĞĐƚĞŶ
Ͳ dŽĞnjŝĞŶŽƉŶĂůĞǀŝŶŐǀĂŶĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚĞŶŵĞƚŽŶĚĞƌĂĂŶŶĞŵĞƌƐ
Ͳ dŽĞnjŝĞŶŽƉŬǁĂůŝƚĞŝƚĞŶǀĞŝůŝŐŚĞŝĚ
&ƵŶĐƚŝĞĞŝƐĞŶ͗
Ͳ ŽƵǁŬƵŶĚŝŐĞŽƉůĞŝĚŝŶŐ
Ͳ sĂŬďĞŬǁĂĂŵĞŶĞƌǀĂƌŝŶŐŵĞƚŚĞƚďŽƵǁĞŶŽƉƵƌĂĐĂŽ
Ͳ ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝĞǀĞǀĂĂƌĚŝŐŚĞĚĞŶ
Ͳ ĞůĨƐƚĂŶĚŝŐ͕ĚĂĂĚŬƌĂĐŚƚŝŐĞŶƐƚƌĞƐƐďĞƐƚĞŶĚŝŐ
Ͳ EĞĚĞƌůĂŶĚƐ͕ŶŐĞůƐ͕WĂƉŝĂŵĞŶƚƵ
^ĂůĂƌŝƐŶĂĂƌŽƉůĞŝĚŝŶŐĞŶĞƌǀĂƌŝŶŐ͘'ĞůŝĞǀĞƵǁsĞŶƐŽůůŝĐŝƚĂƚŝĞƚĞ
ŵĂŝůĞŶŶĂĂƌŝŶĨŽΛĂƋƵĂƌŝƵƐͲĐĂƌŝďďĞĂŶ͘ĐŽŵǀŽŽƌϭϵŵĞŝĂ͘Ɛ͘
Antilliaans Dagblad Dinsdag 16 mei 2017
the 1970s - which includes Thus, the intoxicating one-sided
blocking international credit, international media reporting
mercenaries and paramilitaries disrupting distribution of food that quite deliberately endorse
to perpetrate widespread terror, supplies and other essential Almagro and US pronounce-
among others. This is the con- items and speculating with a ments, only fuels more violen-
text of the opposition-led violen- fictitious, black-market, exchan- ce. This is repugnant, especially
ge rate that has brought major since they know who is the
right now but with some impor- economic difficulties and that, source of the violence. Unfortu-
tant additions. Firstly, Chavez is as intended, has hit the poorest nately, the international media
no longer with us. This has sections of society generating omits reporting that polls con-
energized the US into believing discontent. Thus, on the back of sistently show that well over 80
they now have better chances to these deliberately created econ- percent strongly reject the cur-
succeed. Secondly, the current omic difficulties, in December rent violence and they also
wave of destabilizing violence 2015 the opposition won majo- overwhelmingly oppose ‘regime
has been more effective because rity in Parliament. Nonetheless, change’.
it is combined with a vicious instead of building politically
economic war – reminiscent of upon such victory, they decided There are indeed honest and
what was to Allende in Chile in to take a short cut by promising decent government opponents
to bring down President Madu- who peacefully protest. Howe-
ro, one way or another. In six ver, there are also hooligans,
months, the opposition-led mercenaries and paramilitaries,
Parliament, used its majority to whose task is to confront the
foment violence, even to the police and create chaos. Second,
point that current Parliament the law enforcement agents in
President, Julio Borges, openly the streets have orders to res-
called the military to rise up pect human rights. Those who
against the constitutional go- have disobeyed that order are
vernment. being prosecuted. Given this
dangerous scenario, and the fact
Yet, throughout 2016, the that the opposition refuses to
opposition failed to oust the engage in dialogue with the
government of President Madu- government (even though Una-
ro, as they had promised, despi- sur, the Vatican and three for-
te the fact that they escalated the mer presidents continue to
US-supported economic war. appeal to them to do so), Presi-
dent Maduro, invoking Arts
This failure in the domestic 347, 348 and 349 of Venezuela’s
terrain led them to try it from Constitution, has called for a
the outside, but whose crucial Constituent Assembly as a
domestic component was the democratic political mechanism
current wave of violence to to bring about peace. Society’s
justify US-led external interven- response from all sections, even
tion. This is how the Organiza- from the private sector, has
tion of American States (OAS) been highly supportive and the
comes into the equation. OAS Constituent process promises to
Secretary General, Luis Alma- produce exciting new develop-
gro, violating nearly every norm ments that are likely to deepen
both OAS itself and his strictly the social dimensions of the
administrative function, has Bolivarian Constitution, broade-
dedicated his tenure to illegally ning and strengthening the
interfere in Venezuelan affairs 1999 Constitution.
by unsuccessfully seeking to
activate the OAS Democratic Venezuela has the right to
Charter against Venezuela, thus live in peace and not to be the
enabling the external interven- target of US-led, US-financed
tion. The US Government, the and US-inspired permanent
real behind-the-scenes master- aggression. Venezuela demands
mind of OAS strategy, has respect for its sovereignty and
openly threatened many Latin self-determination, rejects exter-
American and Caribbean coun- nal interference in its internal
tries for siding with Venezuela affairs, will not tolerate uncon-
in the OAS. stitutional and violent acts to
oust the legitimate and demo-
The failure of the US-inspi- cratically elected government,
red Almagro’s OAS strategy and will insist on dialogue as
against Venezuela has led to an the only way to address the
extremely dangerous vicious problems the nation confronts.
circle: images of wanton violen- Unfortunately, the US and
ce in Venezuela feed Almagro’s Venezuela’s extreme right insist
and US’s threats against Vene- on violent means to effect ‘regi-
zuela, which in turn, feed more me change’. We in Venezuela
wanton and irrational violence have no choice but to defend
in Venezuela. our sovereignty.
It is not in the interest of Alvaro Sánchez Cordero is als
Maduro to have terror and vio- zaakgelastigde van Venezuela
lence in the streets. On the gestationeerd op de Venezolaanse
contrary, it is very much in the ambassade in Den Haag.
interest of the opposition to
maintain it and even escalate it.