Latin America commemorates Yasser Arafat and Palestinian resistance

November 14th, 2014

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Yasser Arafat

Ten years after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned by polonium, probably murdered, several Latin American countries have joined Palestinians in commemorating both the anniversary of his death and the ongoing Palestinian resistance. Unsurprisingly, three of the countries participating in the remembrance were Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, all of which have embraced anti-imperialist struggle in their homelands. The latter two benefit from internationalist solidarity in terms of resistance and support from Cuba.

The Palestinian Embassy in Nicaragua held a rally in honour of Arafat. “Today we are commemorating the tenth anniversary of the passage to immortality of the Palestinian commander Yasser Arafat,” said Ambassador Mohammed Sadat. “We are paying tribute to the selfless struggle of the commander.” Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega had, upon news of Arafat’s death, announced his suspicions that he had been poisoned. Paul Oquist, a member of the Nicaraguan Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinians, declared Arafat to be “a symbol of revolutionary struggle for the world and one of the best leaders of the 20th century sharing similarities with Cuban Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.”

The anniversary commemoration also coincided with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s announcement that his country will train 1,000 Palestinian students in specialisms such as medicine and architecture. “We will train at least 1,000 doctors quickly, now,” Maduro said as he welcomed the first 119 students. “I just ordered the Ministry of Education to expand the programme, not just in medicine; we will also enable them to study engineering, architecture and every field of knowledge.” The initiative prompted Palestinian ambassador to Venezuela Linda Sabeh Ali to reflect upon the initiative through the legacy of former revolutionary leader Hugo Chavez: “My gratitude to Comandante Chavez who started the foundations for the scholarship which you have continued.”

In Cuba, various officials and representatives of other nations attended the commemoration organised by the Central Committee of the Cuban government and attended also by Palestinian Ambassador Akram Samhan. Arafat’s ties to Cuba date back to the memorable visit made by Ernesto Che Guevara to Gaza in June 1959, a concrete example of Cuban internationalism which was entrenched further through the support offered by Fidel Castro to the Palestinian resistance. Arafat’s first of four visits to Cuba was in 1974; the last took place in 2001. Upon news of Arafat’s death, Castro declared that the loss was “a terrible blow for the world progressive movement” while reaffirming Cuban support for Palestine. “We reiterate our solidairty and immense support to the just cause of the Palestinian people and our decision to continue strengthening fraternal links that unite our peoples.” Additionally, a decree of the Council of State of Cuba signed by Castro declared Arafat to be “a leader of prestige and unquestionable authority.”

For his part, Arafat’s recognition of the Latin American country’s support for Palestinian resistance was inscribed in a letter to the Cuban leader dated June 16, 2001. Unlike the current rhetoric of acquiescence, the letter implies anti-colonial struggle as inherent to liberation. While upholding Fidel as the epitome of anti-colonialism, Palestinian resistance was described in terms relevant to its own history, a priority that retained recognition of enmity as part of an ideological and tangible process necessitating internationalist support in the struggle against the wider imperialist domination safeguarding Israel’s colonial project.