Greetings from the Hemispheric Social Alliance to the ACP

Sisters and brothers of the Caribbean,

We wish to express greetings of solidarity and support for this assembly that meets today to reaffirm the struggle for a new society and against the social injustice that affects our continent.

Today, more than ever, it is evident that the struggles of Continental America and the Caribbean face the same challenges and require us to strengthen our ties of unity and solidarity. The advances of the power centres' strategy of militarization and criminalization of social protest, as a mechanism to control our region, is a threat to sovereignty and self-determination. This strategy is manifested through the establishment of military bases, that have historically served the interests of the United States, as we have seen with the military coup in Honduras. This has intensified in Haiti, where humanitarian aid is used as an excuse for increasing military control and presence.

We are also facing the effects of climate change, that especially affect our people and territories and put at risk the very existence of the Caribbean Islands. This situation has been caused by the irresponsibility of developed countries, that have not assumed serious commitments to reducing their emissions, converting their energy matrix and transferring resources for adaptation and for the mitigation of the effects of climate change. Therefore, the demands for real solutions to the climate and environmental crisis based on climate justice are urgent and necessary, and demand that we mobilize and coordinate our actions.

Inequality, poverty, unemployment, loss of food sovereignty and the deterioration of living conditions are the results of the application of the economic model, whose implementation has been intensified through the Free Trade Agreements, which are promoted by developed countries in our countries. We must continue and strengthen our models of resistance and joint mobilizations, as well as the solidarity between our peoples so we may denounce and demand that governments suspend the treaties that have already been implemented and the negotiations of new agreements.

To confront the problems and the economic model that we face arise the alternatives of the peoples. There are signs of hope in the Caribbean, like the change in government in Trinidad & Tobago. We support the comrades who will participate in the new government and we invite all organizations to continue strengthening the agenda and the demands of social movements.

Please accept greetings of solidarity and fraternity on behalf of the Hemispheric Social Alliance. We hope to continue to strengthen the ties we have built historically and continue fighting to build a new society on our region, our continent

On behalf of the HSA Secretariat

Enrique Daza