However, the President said that they are now witnessing attacks on the sovereignty and self-determination of Venezuela. In this regards he reaffirmed Cuba´s unconditional support of the Venezuelan people and government and President Nicolas Maduro.
“We strongly reject the judicial and parliamentary coup against President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil,” said Raul and added that Cuba will give all its support to Colombia efforts to implement the final accord and consolidation of fair and lasting peace which the Colombian people deserve.
He also expressed confidence that the Syrian people will solve its own problems by themselves, without any external interference aimed at promoting a regime change in that nation.
Addressing the forum and its chairperson, Raul described as unacceptable to still see that the Palestinian people continue to be the victims of occupation and violence and that the occupiers continue to hinder the setting up of an independent Palestinian state with Eastern Jerusalem as its city capital.
On the other hand, Raul recalled that all attempts towards the self-determination of the Saharawi people have failed, which requests action by the international community.
The Cuban President also expressed support of the historic demand of Puerto Rico for self-determination and independence and he backed the claim by Argentina over the Malvinas Islands (Falklands).
In another part of his speech at the Summit, Raul Castro said that for Cuba non-alignment means fighting for a radical change of the current international economic order imposed by the superpowers, which has favored a group of 360 rich persons who have an annual wealth higher than all the income of 45 percent of the world population.
As this happens, 2.9 billion people are pushed into unemployment and extreme poverty; millions of children die every year from hunger and preventable diseases; nearly 800 million people cannot yet how to read and write, while over 1.7 trillion dollars are dedicated to military expenses.
The only alternative for the Non-Aligned in the face of the huge danger and challenges ahead is unity and solidarity in defending common objectives and interests, the Cuban leader stressed.
Cuba will not yield its principles to have normal relations with the U.S.
Addressing the 27th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Venezuela, President Raul Castro reiterated that Cuba is willing to maintain civilized relations with the United States, but will never renounce any of its principles, or yield its sovereignty and independence.
Cuba will not yield in the defense of its revolutionary and anti-imperialist ideals, or its support of the nations´ self-determination, Raul stressed.
He recalled that 21 months ago, Cuba and the United States announced their decision to reestablish diplomatic relations and since that point in time some advancement has taken place in the diplomatic field and in cooperation issues of mutual interest. But, he said, this has not been the case in the trade and commercial arena due to the limited reach of the measures thus far adopted by Washington, which he also described as positive.
Cuba will continue to demand the lifting of the US economic, commercial and financial blockade, which has inflicted so much damage and limitations to the Cuban people and which also affects other countries due to its extraterritorial nature, Raul noted and went on to say that Cuba will also continue to claim the return to its people of the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo, where Washington maintains a naval base.
If those claims are not met there cannot be normal relations between Cuba and the United States, Raul said and also pointed to the need that Washington should put down current policies that damage Cuban sovereignty, such as subversive programs against the island.
