Caracas November 23-25, 2013

The Executive Committee (EC) of the World Peace Council held successfully from November 23-25, 2013 in Caracas its first meeting after the Assembly of Kathmandu (July 2012). The meeting was hosted in excellent conditions by the Committee of International Solidarity (COSI), the WPC member in Venezuela.

We recall very well the holding of our World Peace Assembly in 2008, where we declared Caracas as the “World Capital of Peace and Anti-imperialist struggle”. Our Assembly then was held under the auspices of the late President, Commander Hugo Chavez, to whom we paid our deepest respect for his huge contribution and successful leadership in the Bolivarian revolution, as a genuine leader of his people with broad recognition worldwide.

The WPC salutes the people of Venezuela which is struggling and defending its achievements, trying to open ways for the deepening of the Bolivarian process, against the subversive actions and the economic war carried out by the local oligarchy and imperialist forces, especially this period. We defend the sovereign right of the Venezuelan people to decide upon its future and wealth, for its empowerment in order to become the true master of its destiny.

The EC of the WPC met in a period of increasing aggressiveness of imperialism in all corners of the world, all fields and aspects of human life. The deep economic crisis of capitalism creates unprecedented new sufferings for hundreds of millions of people, poverty, unemployment, hunger and misery, along with the immense profits of the big capital and the multinational corporations. The synchronized expression in all parts of the world, the grave consequences in Europe for its peoples and youth, shows the nature of the crisis of a system which can not solve the problems of humanity, it is only aggravating them.

The various imperialist forces and centres are competing fiercely for their shares in markets and control of energy and natural resources while they act together against peoples and nations who do not submit to their plans. Whether it is the USA, or NATO, or the European Union with various alliances, the attacks on peoples’ rights, on their sovereignty and independence, on the right to decide upon their future is present world wide.

The WPC expresses its serious concerns about the situation in the Middle East which a focus point for the imperialist forces, while today the main target is Syria, Iran comes next in the bloody plans to control the area.
We denounce the operations of armed “opposition” groups inside Syria which are being sponsored, trained and guided in their subversive actions to destabilize the country, spreading death and terror over the Syrian people. With the dominant role of the Gulf Monarchies, Turkey and the supervision of the USA, NATO and the EU, the interference in the domestic affairs of Syria has reached new dangerous levels. Despite the opening of negotiations on the Iran nuclear energy issue and the consensus about a new Geneva conference on Syria, imperialist threats and provocations are alive, since the agreement on the control and destruction of the Chemical weapons of Syria cannot be considered a durable basis for peace, while war operations inside and outside Syria is going on.

The WPC is aware of the imperialist plans in the Middle East, in particular of the US-Plan for a “Great Middle East” which has been endorsed also by NATO. What is happening now in Syria is part of this very plan, which has Iran as its next target. Iran is being targeted with the pretext of its Nuclear Program, but the real motivation is the geo-strategical control and the rich energy resources of this country. The WPC expresses its solidarity to the people of Iran and its peace loving forces in their complex struggle to achieve peace, democracy and social progress and rejects categorically the external threats and sanctions which are aiming at a regime change.
While condemning the open support of the USA and the EU to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, we reaffirm our support and solidarity with the Palestinian people for ending the occupation and for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State within the borders of 1967 and East Jerusalem as its Capital. Furthermore we demand the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Syrian Golan heights and the Lebanese Sheba farms and we firmly support the solution of Palestinian Refugees’ issue on the basis of UN Resolutions 194 and the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The WPC reaffirms the demand for the complete withdrawal of all occupation forces from Afghanistan and Iraq and draws the attention of all peace loving forces to the plunder of the natural resources of Libya along with the suffering of its people, after the NATO aggression of 2011 and the dismemberment of the country.

While the capitalist economic crisis along with the policies of the governments and the EU are leading dozens of millions of people in Europe to poverty and misery, the EU is developing further its military pillar based on the Lisbon treaty for an active role in the cooperation and competition amongst imperialist centres and forces. The European Union does not restrict any more itself to “crisis management” or “security provider” worldwide but aims to become a “global player” also in the so-called “state building” which means the installation of protectorates and willing regimes. The main areas the EU is describing as targets are the energy supplies and management (oil, gas, the pipelines) the water resources and reserves. The EU is further militarizing its structures applying new forms of cooperation (“pooling and sharing”) for its members, it is developing the “Battle Groups” and adding as military aims the “security of European citizens”, which constitutes an open declaration to intervene in the future militarily in civil clashes and uprisings. The EU is enhancing its cooperation with NATO further, but at the same time trying to develop its research& technology capacity (program Horizon 2020) with the aim to obtain its own drones and military satellites.

The WPC denounces the plans of the government of Cyprus to affiliate to NATO’s “Partnership for Peace”. We support the solution of a Bi-Zonal, Bi-Communal Federation with political equality, one citizenship and one international entity in Cyprus as it is described in the relevant UN resolutions. A solution that will lead to the full demilitarization of the Island including all the foreign military bases.

In Asia Pacific Region, the so called “return of USA” in the region in reality is the increase of USA engagement in the region, to secure the strategic interests of the USA in economic and political field, to put a halt in China’s growing and emerging appearance in the region. The USA has declared that it would deploy 60 percent of its Military force in the Asia Pacific Region (“Pivot to Asia”). The USA is pressurizing countries in the Asia Pacific Region to have strategic alliance with them and already signed such treaties with some countries. This is aimed at expanding its military influence as well as exploiting the mineral resources like oil and gas in the sea around the area.

In central Asia, the US is trying exit its disastrous military presence in Afghanistan, while maintaining its extensive network of military bases. It continues to grossly violate the sovereignty of Pakistan, carrying out criminal bombings using drone aircrafts.

On the Korean Peninsula, the DPRK continues to be threatened by US military bases and nuclear warheads. Repeated joint military exercises by the US, Japan and South Korea serve to escalate tension. The WPC supports the Korean people's struggle against imperialist plans, for independence and sovereignty, for demilitarization and nuclear disarmament, and for the peaceful reunification of Korea.

In Africa, brutal exploitation by multinational corporations continues with the full military support of the US and EU. Millions of people live in misery and thousands die every day due to hunger, lack of medicine, and contaminated water. Imperialist forces pursue their long-standing policy of divide and rule by direct intervention, and also indirectly by fostering divisions and civil clashes. Africa has become theatre of intra-imperialist contradictions and rivalries which are further compounded by the presence of emerging powers on the continent. The overflow of the insurgencies from the imperialist war on Libya in 2011 is creating instability and the cultivation of religious extremist groups who have worked to nurture religious conformity in the region, who have used the countries who share open borders of the Sahara desert. The WPC reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Western Sahara. We condemn the occupation of Western Sahara by the Kingdom of Morocco and underline our solidarity with the just struggle of the Saharawi people, for their inalienable right to self determination under a free and democratic referendum.

The WPC expresses its profound solidarity with the peoples of Latin America. US imperialism, in league with reactionary forces in the region, is threatening several governments in the area with particular pressure on socialist Cuba and Venezuela. It is also trying to subvert progressive governments in Ecuador and Bolivia. Many Latin American nations, inspired by the Cuban Revolution, have produced progressive social, economic and political achievements that have improved the living conditions of the poor and working people. The WPC supports these developments, which reflect the peoples' long struggles for empowerment and determination of their future.

We are following the peace talks taking place in Havana between the Colombian government and the insurgency and express our solidarity with the Colombian people with the wish to reach durable peace and abolition of the causes which led to the political, social and military conflict in the country for decades now.

The USA but also the EU have not given up their reactionary role in the region. While competing with each other they go hand in hand in imposing political, trade and military agreements with many countries. The USA is deploying new military Bases in South and Central America additional to the re-launch of the 4th naval fleet.

The WPC reaffirms its full hearted solidarity with the Cuban Revolution and its people, 55 years after the triumph of the revolution and denounces the criminal blockade imposed by the USA on Cuba along with the demand to shut down the concentration camp at Guantanamo base and the complete removal of the Base from Cuban soil. We demand the release of the remaining 4 Cuban patriots from the US prisons, which constitutes an act of political revenge by the USA against Cuba.

Imperialism’s increased aggression against the peoples of the world puts humanity at serious risk. Today, more than ever, we need to intensify our anti-imperialist and solidarity actions and strengthen WPC member movements in each country. This way, we can confront and defeat our main enemy.

To meet this challenge, and place our movement at the forefront of the global struggle for peace, we must build a broad anti-imperialist front for peace. Especially during the deep economic crisis of the system, we need to highlight the relation of Capitalism, its crisis and the tendency to wars and aggressions. We must connect our peace agenda with all struggles – for decent jobs and wages, for social rights, for public health, against commercialization of culture and education, for a safe and secure environment.

In this context the WPC is going to take initiatives and actions, to hold meetings and conferences in the coming period giving also continuity to the decisions taken in the May/June Secretariat meeting in Portugal. We highlight some points of the plan of action below:

• To observe in all countries an international action day on 8th December 2013 in solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Revolution
• To support the holding of the 18th World Festival of Youth and Students in December 2013 in Quito, Ecuador
• To support the International conference for a Weapons of Mass Destruction free Middle East in Haifa and Ramallah in December 2013
• The 65th anniversary of the World Peace Council, with the idea to hold events all over the world and culminate with a central event in Havana end of October 2014
• The 100th anniversary from the start of the World War I by highlighting the dangers for new imperialist wars and aggressions today
• The 15th anniversary of the NATO aggression against the peoples of Yugoslavia with a special international conference to be held in Belgrade on 22-23 March 2014
• The 75th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia with an international event on 15-16 March 2014 in Prague
• To hold the continental regional conference of the America in Buenos Aires in June 2014
• Within the broader struggle against militarism and imperialist wars and International Campaign for the dissolution of NATO to be culminated on 4th-5th September 2014 at its summit in South Wales,UK(65th anniversary of NATO)
• The 40th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Cyprus with an international event in summer 2014 in Nicosia
• The 75th anniversary of the beginning of World War II
• The International Solidarity Meeting with the Cuban Revolution in Havana October 27-31, 2014
• The support to the “International Initiative for Justice” in Turkey by the Peace Association aiming in proving the criminal complicity of the Turkish government in the war crimes against the Syrian people.
• To carry out an International mission to Syria in solidarity with the Syrian people
• To hold the Asia/Pacific regional meeting of WPC in India in 2014