CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who rubbed the US the wrong way by denouncing what he called US intervention in Venezuela earlier in the year, has now called the US embargo on Cuba is against the universal norms and values of human rights.
Dahal did not mention America by name but spent a good part of his inaugural speech in the Ninth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Solidarity with Cuba in Kathmandu on Friday criticizing the US sanctions against Cuba.
"The sanction against Cuba is against the universal norms and values of human rights," Dahal opined. "The cost that Cuba has been bearing due to trade embargo has gone over 130 billion dollars in the past six decades."
"Despite decades of sanctions, blockades and other restrictions, Cuba has demonstrated to the world that unjust behavior cannot kill the conscience of the peace and freedom loving people. The embargo against Cuba has not weakened Cuban people’s patience, nationalist vision and defense of sovereignty," Dahal said.
He slammed the US embargo and demanded that it be lifted. "It has been almost 26 years that the international community has rejected the sanctions against Cuba. Yet, despite strong global call, it is continuing. The voice of the international community must be heard," he stressed. "Our solidarity goes to the people and leaders of Cuba in their efforts to defend national sovereignty."
Dahal's press statement on the political developments of Venezuela had created a storm at the start of year.
"Communist Party of Nepal issues this statement in support of the people of Venezuela, the sovereignty of the state and the recognition of democratically elected constitutional President of Nicholas Maduro," the press statement issued in the name of Chairman Dahal on January 25 read, "Communist Party of Nepal also strongly denounces the US and its allies intervention in the internal affairs of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with the intention of increasing the violence by diving the people and challenging democracy, sovereignty and peace."
In the press release, Dahal accused the US of trying to create chaos and violence in Venezuela by putting inhuman economic sanctions and threatening military intervention. “It’s a serious challenge to the UN Charter and Principle of peaceful co-existence. Therefore, we call the US and other countries to respect the principle of noninterference, national sovereignty and peaceful co-existence.”
Juan Guaido on January 23 declared himself interim president claiming that the constitution gives him, as president of the congress, the authority to take over as interim president and form a transitional government until he calls new elections. The US and 16 nations of the Organization of American States immediately recognized Guaido as interim president.
Dahal had also appealed to the international community including the UN to stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela in their struggle to defend the national and people’s sovereignty.
The US Embassy in Nepal had sought the government's official position on the political developments in the Latin American country after Dahal's statement and the Foreign Ministry on January 29 issuing a statement said the government believes that there should be no external interference in internal affairs of any country.
Dahal's statement had also led to some tension between the two CPN chairmen. PM Oli, who was in Switzerland when Dahal issued the statement, had called the statement a faux pas and claimed that such a statement would not have been issued if he were in Nepal then.
But Dahal hit back at Oli for calling his statement on Venezuela a faux pas and stressed that an individual opinion does not matter when the party's secretariat has already endorsed his statement.
