Havana has hosted an international conference with the participation of top officials of the Republic of Cuba.
The forum entitled “For Dialogue between Civilizations and for a Culture of Peace” was traditionally held at the main political venue, the Havana International Conference Center (Palacio de Convenciones), from January 28 to 31, 2025. It was attended by delegates from more than 95 countries. There were about a thousand people in total, half of whom were foreigners and the other half – Cubans. This conference is held every two years and is dedicated to the birthday of the national Cuban poet and philosopher, apostle of the Revolution Jose Marti (this year marked the 172nd anniversary).
On January 28, a Grand Plenary Session dedicated to the opening of the conference was held with the participation of The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and The President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo, the country’s Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and other senior government officials, including the Foreign Minister and Minister of Culture.
The lecture “Justice as the Path to Peace and Balance in the World” by Brazilian theologian and intellectual Frei Betto was also presented at the plenary session. On Wednesday, January 29, in the morning and evening, working sessions with the participation of speakers from different countries began in all the halls of the Conference Center. A delegation from Russia was also represented.
A variety of issues were discussed, from the problems of Western colonialism and racism to environmental challenges and the legacy of revolutionary thinkers, among whom, of course, was Fidel Castro. Compared to the previous conference, which was also attended by the author of this article, there were more presentations on the topic of multipolarity. Many mentioned Russia’s role in building a more just world order and combating neo-Nazism. In the historical context, in connection with the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany and its allies, the importance of international solidarity with Moscow was emphasized.
The conference coincided with two decisions made by Donald Trump that directly affect ‘Liberty Island’, which also point to a more expansionist approach by the current White House administration. First, he returned Cuba to the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, from which outgoing President Joe Biden had excluded it the days before. Secondly, he stated that the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay – actually part of the illegally occupied territory of sovereign Cuba – will be used as a place to house migrants from Latin American countries.
The Guantanamo base is one of the most shameful pages in US politics, especially regarding human rights violations. And now, it seems, Donald Trump wants to increase discontent and criticism of Washington.
Both decisions provoked strong condemnation in the region. Although the new White House administration is trying to enlist the support of its satellites in Central and South America, as evidenced by the recent tour of the new Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
At a press conference held by Marco Rubio on February 4, 2025 at the door of the Presidential House in Zapote, Costa Rica, he stated:”Costa Rica is a reliable ally in the fight against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, the enemies of humanity.” Costa Rica, like Colombia and Ecuador before it, has become yet another place where the US is strengthening its military and intelligence presence under the pretext of alleged cooperation on bilateral security and the fight against drug trafficking.
It is significant that Costa Rica does not have its own national security or defense doctrine. It is one of the few countries in the world without armed forces, and Costa Rica has to rely on partners for regional security. In fact, there is also no doctrine of a sovereign and independent foreign policy. This allows Washington to retain Costa Rica in its influence and manipulate local politicians, which has turned the country into a satellite colony of the United States.
They also discussed new advanced technological mechanisms and “biometric systems” that will be installed in Costa Rica to deter “masses of dangerous migrants,” “drug traffickers,“ and “terrorists.”
Marco Rubio made similar statements in the Dominican Republic, although he also talked about energy opportunities, assistance to Haiti and neighboring Puerto Rico.
In this renewed interest in the region on the part of the United States (it is also worth mentioning the scandalous statements of Donald Trump about Canada and Greenland), one can clearly see a new variation of the Monroe Doctrine, which at the beginning of the 19th century asserted the imperative of US hegemony in the Western Hemisphere, and after the amendment of Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 actually became the basis for military interventions and direct interference “on behalf of a civilized society.”
But despite the increasing pressure from the United States on our strategic partners in Latin America, which is how Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are designated in Russia’s foreign policy doctrine, as well as the ongoing Special Military Operation, Russia can use this situation to strengthen its presence, using the geopolitical terminology, in the underbelly of the United States,
The Cuba–Venezuela–Nicaragua triangle itself represents a powerful combination that, with proper investments from Russia and the implementation of joint projects (including regional infrastructure and logistics), could lead to a change in the balance of power and be an important trump card in Russia‘s foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
In addition, the Morena party, which is friendly to Russia and has always supported Cuba’s international rights, is in power in Mexico. The expansion of Russia’s diplomatic presence in the Caribbean region has long been necessary. At one time, Cuba managed to build stable diplomatic ties there, despite more than 60 years of sanctions from Washington, and many states in the region are consolidating their support for the Republic of Cuba. In particular, the CARICOM Caribbean Community, which includes 15 states, mainly from the Lesser Antilles, but also Guyana, Suriname and Belize, pursue synchronized policies on many foreign policy issues, including voting at the United Nations. Based on the Cuban experience of interacting with this community, Russia could also better defend its interests.
Although there is a political will in Latin America to form multipolarity, new diverse levels of interaction with the countries of the region would clearly give this process an additional impetus.
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