Raul Castro: What Prevents our Joint Efforts for a Better World?

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 11 (acn) President Raul Castro reiterated Cuba's support of Venezuela amidst current US measures against it and called for regional unity and joint efforts to improve the wellbeing of the nations of The Americas.

"We give our solidarity to Venezuela; this sister nation constitutes no threat to the United States," said the First Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party and head of state in his statements at the 7th Summit of the Americas.

Raul also expressed the island's support of Argentina's claim over the Malvinas Islands, the people of Ecuador in their struggle to rescue their natural resources and of Haiti, which is still under the consequences of a ravaging earthquake.

In today's world, in which armed conflicts proliferate and is full of nuclear and mass destruction weapons, we need to fight poverty, a consequence of plunder and conquest wars launched by imperial powers, Raul said.

Recalling statements by Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro Raul said that "humanity must become aware of what we have been and of what we cannot continue to be."

Hemispheric relations must change and be based on mutually beneficial relations on the bases of international law, Raul pointed out and noted that "we are advancing towards regional integration with our own initiatives, which reaffirm the need for us to come together in order to guarantee our own development; our differences must be addressed though dialog and negotiation in full correspondence with international law."

And he asked: "What prevents us from fighting together terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime or from preserving the environment? Why don't we join efforts to build schools, hospitals, to eradicate poverty? We need to get together to create a better world," Raul stressed.

As to Cuba, Raul referred to countless social achievements in the areas of education, health, social opportunities for the people and he stressed that Cubans have free access to sports, as they have practiced solidarity with other nations with 65 thousand workers in 89 countries, particularly in the fields of healthcare and education.

"We came to this summit to honor the mandate of Jose Marti with the freedom we conquered with our own hands, proud of Our America, to serve to it and honor it with our determination and capacity to contribute to its recognition for its merits and its respect for its sacrifices, as Marti once hoped."