Lies at the United Nations about Cuba and Venezuela
By Elio Delgado Legon
HAVANA TIMES — Surprising is a very poor term to describe the speech that the US president Donald Trump gave to the UN General Assembly. It was really outrageous that representatives from 193 countries had to sit and listen to a string of lies about several countries whose governments aren’t to the United States’ liking.
He was deliberately lying about Iran when he said: “The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy.” “It has turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state.” Is he referring to the wealthy country under Shah Reza Palhevi’s rule, who imposed a bloody dictatorship, torturing, murdering and disappearing his opposition, with the United States’ approval?
He deliberately lied about Cuba when he said: “That is why in the Western Hemisphere, the United States has stood against the corrupt and destabilizing regime in Cuba and embraced the enduring dream of the Cuban people to live in freedom.”
He uses the labels “corrupt” and “subversive” to refer to the Cuban government without any grounds and he doesn’t back up anything he says with evidence. To tell you the truth, the blockade that the Cuban people have suffered for nearly 60 years is “subversive” and “genocidal”, and all of this just because the United States is uncomfortable with having a socialist country in its hemisphere, whose people led a revolution and have defended it all these years making great sacrifices.
The Cuban people’s dream to live in freedom came true on January 1st 1959 and even though successive US governments have tried to take away this freedom, leaving in their wake more than 3000 people dead and a large number of mutilated people due to the violent actions that have taken place over so many years, the Cuban people haven’t given up and they won’t ever give up because they are marching forward united to defend their Revolution, and the reforms and changes that come about in Cuba will be what is decided by the sovereign people and in line with our Constitution to perfect our socialism.
He deliberately lied about Venezuela when he said: “The socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has inflicted terrible pain and suffering on the good people of that country. This corrupt regime destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology that has produced poverty and misery everywhere it has been tried. To make matters worse, Maduro has defied his own people, stealing power from their elected representatives to preserve his disastrous rule.”
First of all, he labels a government that was democratically elected by the people a “dictatorship” and that far from inflicting pain and suffering, has made countless improvements so the Venezuelan people can live a dignified life. 1. Illiteracy was wiped out. 2. Free medical attention has been given to everyone, even in the country’s most remote places. 3. It has given thousands of Venezuelan citizens their eyesight back who were blind just because they couldn’t afford to pay a simple cataract operation. 4. It has built and continues to build millions of homes to give a dignified home to everyone who lives in miserable conditions.
I have only given you four things, the most important, but I could go on to list many more, and as a result the majority of the Venezuelan people support their socialist government. And if the Venezuelan people have suffered shortages and violence in recent months, it’s because they have been caused by a pro-coup Right, who receives support from the US, and therefore the deaths of more than 100 people caused by these right-wing groups and the US should weigh heavy on their consciences, if they have them.
It’s true that Venezuela is a rich country because of its great oil reserves, but before the Chavista Revolution came into power, via free and democratic elections, the majority of people used to live in awful misery, while oil revenue was only split between a select few. With the four achievements pointed out above alone, we can say that it was well worth implementing Socialism in that country.
With regard to the Constituent Assembly, which received more than 8 million votes, it’s a measure that appears in the national Constitution and it was necessary in order to end the violence and financial boycott which was only inflicting more suffering on the Venezuelan people. Therefore, it is fundamentally a democratic measure.
It’s possible that President Trump is misinformed, and this has led him to issue mistaken judgments and lies, but he didn’t mention the crimes that the Israeli government is committing against the Palestinian people in his speech, just because Israel is a US ally. It’s the double standard that many people criticize, or maybe it’s best to say the double immorality.
Respectfully, let me just add one rebuttal to Mr. Legon. A quote concerning Venezuela that speaks for itself:
“…Antonio Mugica, chief executive of London-based Smartmatic, which has provided technology for Venezuelan elections since 2004, said it detected an inaccurate turnout figure Sunday through the automated balloting system. Venezuelan authorities had said more than 8 million people cast ballots, more than the number of people who voted against the new assembly in an informal referendum last month.”
“With the deepest regret, we have to say that the turnout data presented on Sunday, July 30, for the constituent election was manipulated,” Mugica said at a news conference in London.
His company’s analysis of the data, he said, suggested the number was off by “at least 1 million.”
Liar in chief trump is pathetic.
The scary aspect of this debacle is his support base who seem to constitute a significant minority within the USA. They seem to lap up every twisted little lie he spouts out.
Perhaps this unpleasant segment of the United States reckon that with a little bit of a push and a shove, the world will be theirs.
US democratic checks and balances are holding out thus far but as to how much long term damage this sick individual and his fascist backers will inflict is anyone’s guess.
He will be dethroned in the ballot box. He has very few friends remaining. He will be challenged in the next election by some halfway reasonable people.
Even though Cuba and Venezuela have their own social problems, it is up to the residents in these countries to determine their future without the intervention from their big neighbor up north. President Trump should mind his own business and look in his own backyard; it ain’t pretty either! He just found out that Puerto Rico is an island “surrounded by a big ocean” whose residents are American citizens. The world community just have to put up with him temporarily. The sooner he leaves, the better!