Agencia Bolivariana de Prensa originally published the following article by Ivan Marquez, of Colombia’s FARC. It was translated by Fight Back! staff.

By Ivan Marquez

The whole world is witnessing the decline of the most brutal empire in human history: that of the United States. The White House feels the tremor of losing control of the world, and that is why it is desperately trying to impose a global fascist dictatorship that will allow it to live beyond its sunset.

Tucked in the eye of the hurricane of its anguish, the United States believes it has carte blanche to act arbitrarily  against countries of the hemisphere, as it throws punches at Russia, China, North Korea, Syria and Iran – who know how to defend themselves. This impotent anger is based on the fact that these countries are neither subordinate nor anyone's satellites. Hence its aggressiveness.

Cuba and Venezuela are targets, and undoubtedly less materially powerful than the capitalists of the United States, but they are much, much, more powerful in decorum and in dignity. This is the force they have. They don't need anyone to spare their lives. They know how to resist. They are people of the lineage of Bolívar and Martí, of Chávez and Fidel, who do not bow down or humiliate themselves. And the Latin American peoples have never had an affection for the Monroe Doctrine of the terrible monster of the North.

It is time to unleash the world's solidarity towards Cuba, which has been blocked and attacked since 1959. Nothing justifies the destruction of that country's sovereignty or the socialist work of its revolution. Reason obliges us to condemn the application of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, the transgression of international law and the laws of commerce, which affect not only Cuba but also third countries.

Hands off Venezuela! Washington is punishing this brave people, with its dream of Bolivarian socialism that is erected as a retaining wall against the plundering of oil, gold, diamonds and minerals that generate new energies; that is why it conspires to overthrow the legitimate government of President Maduro, worsening the humanitarian crisis with its inhuman measures of sanctions, expropriation of companies like Citgo, and the freezing of funds that are needed for the purchase of food and medicines.

If they don't give it what it wants, the United States takes it anyway. With blatant lies it creates media manipulation. It threatens wars of invasion. It releases its crazy hawks to justify the outrage. It doesn't care about UN resolutions. It doesn't care about destroying the planet, and it despises the efforts that seek to stop climate change.

We must make people aware – by reading from the pages of history – that empires are neither immortal nor eternal. That the answer to the outrages is the mobilization of the peoples into a world rebellion. An alliance of peoples and sister republics must be created on all continents superseding religious beliefs, skin tones and all social prejudice, if life and human dignity are to be preserved.

An alliance of sovereign states and peoples for dignity and respect. The construction of a better world demands today the mobilization of resistance against global tyranny. Inaction is of no use. Wonderment and paralysis are of no use. We must react, we must move on to a united response of the world against the outrage. We need unity to defeat centuries of injustice, with the certainty that we will have on our side the immense majority of the people of the Americas.

The strategy of domination that combines a powerful battery of firepower, technology, manipulation of the mind, cultural warfare, pedagogy of fear, applied science, diplomacy, destabilization, incitement of conflicts, will not deter the struggle for human dignity.

May 5, 2019

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