Caribbean Students Oppose War Plans and Demand Respect for Venezuelan Sovereignty

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago: The rapidly unfolding events in Venezuela are continuing to attract attention across the Caribbean with students joining the discussion, demanding a peaceful solution and condemning promotion of growing confrontation between the opposing sides.

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The Caribbean Studies Association (CSA), which unites university students across the Caribbean, has expressed deep concern about recent developments in Caracas, which, they say, “suggest a threatened war in Venezuela.”

In an April 2 statement issued out of Trinidad & Tobago, the CSA joined the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the United Nations and the Latin American Parliament in calling for a peaceful and non-violent solution to the problems in Venezuela.

CSA President Catalina Toro Perez said in the statement: “Now, more than ever, we endorse the basic principle of international law that respect between nations, in all their sovereignty, is fundamental to peaceful co-existence.”

She said the students entity is of the view that, “Respect for the rule of law and the legitimacy of states based on the recognition of their peoples, provide the basis of national integrity which the world expects.”

“Therefore,” the CSA president said, “we defend the respect for territorial integrity, the recognition of political pluralism in its diversity and the democratic coexistence of the Venezuelan people.”

At a time when Washington is bent on stoking fires towards confrontation between the opposing sides in Venezuela, the CSA statement said, “Encouraging a confrontation will only negatively impact the life and well-being of the [Venezuelan] people.”

“In that context,” the statement added, “we express concern about the continued sanctions and suffering of the people of Venezuela.”

Supporting the continuing efforts to encourage a peaceful solution to what has become a growing conflict involving external intervention and interference, as well as allegations of sabotage and threats of military intervention, the CSA statement said: “The practices of encounter, dialogue, negotiation and agreement have never been so relevant as today.”

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It added, “Now, it is of the utmost importance to respect the democratic rights of all the [Venezuelan] people.”

According to the CSA president, “As an intellectual organization with a diverse institutional and individual membership from across the entire Caribbean, we are against military solutions.”

The Caribbean university and allied students also joined in support of continuing efforts to ensure a peaceful approach to a solution in Venezuela.

The statement said, “We join diverse international organizations such as CARICOM, the United Nations, the Vatican, the Latin American Parliament and the International Conference of Montevideo convened by Mexico and Uruguay, calling for a process of dialogue and negotiation in Venezuela with transparency and guarantees in favor of constitutional rights and in terms of peace.”

The regional students’ statement was issued following the CSA’s assessment of the historical context in which the current situation in Venezuela is unfolding.

According to the president, “We have shared the roots of the violence suffered during dictatorships in various countries of the region and [we] know the nature of dictatorial regimes, as well as the pathologies of the powers that mark the evolution of its political processes.

“We have also experienced the ravages of slavery, colonialism and subsequent forms of foreign intervention and occupation and leadership selected by outside interests.”

“At this particular political juncture,” the president said, “we support a broad movement in favor of peace, democracy and justice for and from all the people of Venezuela.”

The statement concluded with a strong call for: “No more wars or foreign interventions in the Caribbean!”