THE government of the Republic of Cuba strongly condemns the parliamentary coup d’état against the constitutional President Fernando Lugo and the sister people of Paraguay.

This coup is added to the long list of attacks on the self-determination of Latin American peoples, orchestrated by oligarchies with the instigation, complicity or tolerance of the United States government.

Cuba condemns the fact that, after decades of bloody military dictatorships which murdered hundreds of thousands of persons and practiced state terrorism and torture with impunity, this violent, anti-democratic strategy has returned, using classical as well as new methods, in the military and subsequent oil industry coups against the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela; the destabilizing and secessionist attacks in the Plurinational State of Bolivia; the military coup against the progressive government in Honduras; and the attempted coup against the Citizens’ Revolution in Ecuador.

Acts such as these are an attempt to halt the process of progressive change and genuine Latin American-Caribbean integration developing throughout Our America.

The Cuban government declares that it will not recognize any authority whatsoever that is not based on a legitimate vote and the exercise of sovereignty by the Paraguayan people.

At the same time, Cuba will maintain its strictly humanitarian medical collaboration, serving the population of the country. The María Auxiliadora Ophthalmology Center, which has helped 18,000 Paraguayans recover or improve their vision, will, therefore, continue its work as long as necessary.