Forum of Sao Paulo: San Salvador Declaration Favours People’s Power

The 22nd meeting of the Forum of Sao Paulo concluded in El Salvador with a final declaration in which it deepens in actions of left-wing parties and social movements to go forward with changes in favor of the peoples

At the closing session on Sunday, described as successful, the Secretary General of the Front Farabundo Martí for National Liberation (FMLN), Medardo González, read the Declaration of San Salvador, of 23 points on the diverse topics debated in this three-day work meeting.

“Latin America and the Caribbean is at this moment and will keep being at the front line of the struggle of peoples for a society with justice and liberty, without exploitation or oppression”, says the last point of this Declaration.

“A struggle in which the peoples, their political and social organizations and the governments that defend peoples’ interests confront the most powerful forces of the world, but the economic and military powers will not overcome the power of reason, of ideas, and the highest values of humanity”, it adds.

The Sao Paulo Forum extols the historic victory of the Cuban Revolution in its battle of over half a century against the aggressiveness of U.S. imperialism, with the recognition by the United States of the defeat of its policy and says normalization of those relations will not be possible if the criminal economic blockade is not lifted and the illegal occupation of Cuban territory at the naval base of Guantanamo.

The Forum recognizes as a continental victory the historic agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (Farc-EP) declaring bilateral ceasefire and rejects the militarist attempts in the region and advocates for the defense of Latin America and the Caribbean as zone of peace, proclaimed by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

The declaration also considers the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela as a permanent strategic victory in the struggle for our peoples’ liberty.

The document defends the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America and Petrocaribe, while highlighting in the case of Nicaragua the increasing and sustained support to the process led by the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional, under the leadership of Daniel Ortega.

It underlines that left-wing and progressive parties must keep working to achieve that a sea outlet is given to Bolivia in dialogue with Chile.

It refutes the coupist government of Brazil and demands the return of legitimate president, Dilma Rousseff.

The Forum of Sao Paulo recognizes the government of El Salvador and the FMLN for their effective social policies which have allowed to reduce poverty, inequality and to fight delinquency.

Among other issues, the declaration defends the rights of the groups LGBTI, the originary peoples, women, youths and migrants, while demanding a migratory reform and rejects the United States policy of interference.