Lima, Peru.- Bolivian President Evo Morales today condemned ”categorically the unilateral sanctions and threats of invasion made by the government of the United States against Venezuela”, and demanded the unconditional lifting of the blockade of Cuba.

In his speech at the 8th Summit of the Americas, which will end today in this capital, Morales repeated that ‘our region is not anyone’s backyard, and we regret that our brother, President Nicolas Maduro, is not sitting here due to pressure by the United States.’

‘Bolivia demands the unconditional lifting of the economic and financial blockade that the United States has imposed on Cuba, and the return of the territory occupied by its naval base in Guantanamo,’ the president noted.

In his brief speech, Morales demanded that the Organization of American States (OAS) define itself: ‘It is either an integration organization or it is an instrument of exclusion. It either respects the peoples’ sovereignty or it is a neocolonial puppet,’ he stressed.

Likewise, he supported the Puerto Rican people’s free self-determination, ratified his support for the devolution of the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands to Argentina’s sovereignty, and expressed gratitude for the solidarity and support from several States, peoples and leaders to Bolivia’s demand for access to the sea.

Morales repeated his offer of lending a fraternal hand to Chile so that the next generations do not inherit any pending issues and for Bolivia to have sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean as a result of good-faith negotiations.

‘We want a world order based on solidarity, on equality, social justice, respect for the peoples’ rights, peace and development, to represent the interests of our peoples and to fight against corruption,’ the Bolivian president noted.

‘It is indispensable that basic services are recognized and exercised as human rights, that the rights of Mother Land are recognized and that a battle is waged against capitalism, colonialism and imperialism,’ he added.

‘These are not times for conflicts but for complementariness, these are not times for walls or clashes but for understanding, these are not times for invasion by for integration,’ Morales pointed out.

Bolivia will take over the secretariat of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) soon, and it will work tirelessly for our peoples’ integration and full respect for the States’ sovereignty, he stressed.