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We Are All Conscious of The Sacrifices Made by Our Peoples
We Are All Conscious of The Sacrifices Made by Our Peoples
We Are All Conscious of The Sacrifices Made by Our Peoples
conscious of the hopes that have been prompting those sacrifices, and also
the illusion that tyrants are disappearing from the face of our Continent.
Yet, the truth is that such disappearance is only an illusion, and nobody
would dare to state here, honestly and frankly, how long will the
suffering and so many sacrifices, will last; and also how long do they
suppose those democratic governments, overrun with poverty and need, which
create an unending series of troubles and conflicts will last, before those
who are watching for the right moment to take power from those democratic
hold its own under such circumstances? We have adopted the democratic
ideal, which is the ideal of all the peoples of this hemisphere, because it
is the ideal best fitting the idiosyncrasy and the ambitions of the peoples
about whether our countries are going to fall in the hands of leftist
bout the possibility that our countries might fall in the hands of right
wing dictatorships. Because, after all, what Latin America wants and longs
for, what Latin America is striving for, is just plain Democracy. The
truth is that we are showing just one of the ugly faces of evil to the
people, but conceal the other equally ugly face, so that they won't see
it.
Many speakers often discuss democracy with their listeners, and then
They speak of democracy to the same peoples they are betraying, to the same
peoples whose rights they are denying, but the people only see sacrifices.
They have lost faith, the faith that is so necessary at this critical
instant when we have to have our continent for Democracy, but not for a
theoretical democracy, not for a democracy with hunger and misery, not for
a democracy under the reign of terror and oppression but for a true
democracy, based on real respect for the dignity of men with all human
peoples of America want neither liberty without bread nor bread without
liberty!
watch their step, have to take care of themselves, because they must hold
elections and might loose them, or the people might refuse to vote, there
are things which act as brakes to slow down and even stop corruption, aided
by the freedom of speech: the elections held every two years.) On the
other hand, in the case of a dictatorship, the men in power steal the
people's money for ten, fifteen, twenty and even more years and make
complains, nobody protests, simply because nobody can do any such thing;
peoples have to make special efforts of a moral character, and when such
not -- represent the interests of their peoples, do not represent the will
measure that we improve our economic status. On the other hand, we must
This is one of the risks to which we are all exposed. We do not agree with
the theory to the effect that the ideal system of government for economic
development... That's why the really democratic government like our own
own countries, lest we might ask sacrifices from just one class, from the
workers, for instance, and not to the other sectors of the country.
all the sectors of the nation, and this is something which the economic
the Government keeps on adopting its measures with the full support of the
I have gone over the speech of the United States delegation; I have
read it carefully. (It describes all the efforts made heretofore in the
All of that is true. But the contribution given through that agency is
utterly insufficient; I don't mean to say that the goodwill that prompted
and led to those contributions was insufficient or that the desire to help
and the sincerity of the offer was short in any way. The trouble is that
been utterly insufficient. Where it not so, why should Latin America be so
the billion dollars of basic capital, one half is our half, consisting of
our own soft or weak currencies and affected by our inflationary problems;
ask you, where do you suppose we are going to get those dollars or that
insufficient. That's the truth. The references made by the United States
doubt that their contribution has been substantial and decisive. However,
the -- United States can, thanks to their powerful economy, make sacrifices
much greater sacrifices too. They have made them before, and that's is
precisely why they are big and strong. However, they have not made them
for the peoples of Latin America; their assistance money has not been
for its reconstruction after the war, and in behalf of remote countries and
peoples of the Middle East; not in behalf of the peoples that are most
closly linked by tradition and political and economic relations with the
United States. Now, why should not we in Latin America expect the United
States to give us the support, the help, the cooperation they have been
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