Belarusian President affirms positive visit
• Statement by President Raúl Castro on the coup d’état in Paraguay

Aliana Nieves Quesada

PRESIDENT Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus stated at the end of an official visit to Cuba that his stay had been a highly positive one, while emphasizing his government’s major prospects in terms of relations with ALBA and other Latin American countries.

Lukashenko, who was continuing his tour in Venezuela, stated that Belarus hopes to establish bases there for economic cooperation with the rest of Latin America.

President Raúl Castro bade farewell to the leader at José Martí International Airport, and asked him to convey an embrace to the Venezuelan people from the peoples of Cuba and Belarus.

The Belarusian and Cuban Presidents had a fraternal meeting in which they discussed the excellent state of bilateral relations.

Speaking to the press, Raúl observed that the recent events in Latin America did not surprise him. "Coups d’état have returned, but disguised," he said, in reference to the impeachment of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo.

"It was a coup, it is not by chance (…) in this case they utilized Parliament and the reactionary majority they have within it."

The Cuban leader related that one day, talking with Fidel, he commented that when the United States felt its interests in Latin America threatened, coups would reappear.

He recalled the role played by Henry Kissinger in the military coup against Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1973, and emphasized that this had become such a discredited method that it has been replaced by other mechanisms such as so called democratic liberties and certificates of good conduct granted by Washington in order to justify them.

The President noted what took place in Venezuela in 2002, when "they despaired of Chávez and invented a military coup which failed and the people saved their President."

He also made reference to what took place in Bolivia, where a variant in the method was utilized. This time it was to be through the secession of Media Luna department, led by the local oligarchy and the ultra-right, but UNASUR heads of state met and succeeded in containing the action.

Then came the turn of Honduras, an ALBA member country at the time, when "they placed the President aboard a light aircraft and flew him to the Palmerola base, notorious since the era of fighting the Nicaraguan Revolution… From there he was transferred to Costa Rica, where they left the President in the middle of the runway."

Raúl ended his statement by recalling what happened in Ecuador. "Whoever has seen police making coups d’état? They will continue, that’s the motive."

Before leaving, the Belarusian leader placed a wreath at the José Martí Memorial in Plaza de la Revolución, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Dagoberto Rodríguez and other members of the Cuban and Belarusian Foreign Ministries.

Bilateral activities included the signing of two agreements and three memoranda of cooperation in science, technology, health and agriculture.

Vladimir Semashko, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister, described Cuba as a world leader in pharmacology and biotechnology and affirmed his country’s interest in the island’s advice in this context.

Semashko added that the two countries agreed to discuss projects for repairing Belarusian transportation and freight means acquired by Cuba and to plan deliveries of spare parts and maintenance equipment.