May 5, 2017

Promoters of peace, anti-war activists and defenders of just causes are meeting in Guantánamo May 4-6, attending the Fifth International Seminar for Peace and the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases.

According to organizers, some 300 people are participating in the event who, during workshops, panel discussions, and debates will not only address, but also speak out against different issues related to the arms and military race led by the United States and its allies.

Another central theme of the international encounter will be the return of the Guantánamo territory illegally occupied by Washington against the legitimate will of the Cuban people, where its largest and oldest naval base is located, covering over 117 square kilometers; hence the great symbolic importance of holding the event in this city, according to Silvio Platero, President of the Cuban Movement for Peace.

Platero added that the fundamental objective of the event is to exchange experiences and ideas on an issue of global concern, given the increase in military bases worldwide especially in areas where water sources and mining zones are located.
Debates will also focus on nuclear disarmament, military bases and their negative impact, as well as condemnation of the interventionist policies of global powers, he noted.

Platero stressed that the Seminar will once again reaffirm its support for the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, approved by heads of state and government meeting in Havana in January 2014, during the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).