On September 5, the People’s Democracy Party (PDP) in South Korea issued a statement.
The full text follows.
[Spokesperson Report 626]
Stop the US must immediately its military occupation and aggressive maneuvers against Latin America!
1. US imperialism is accelerating the militarization of Latin America. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mexico on September 3, and then Ecuador on September 4. In response, Ecuadorian peace organizations condemned the visit, stating that as the U.S. attempts to militarize the Caribbean and threaten Venezuela, Rubio’s visit endangers peace in Latin America and gravely infringes upon Ecuador’s national interests and sovereignty. Notably, after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa signed an unconstitutional law approving the establishment of U.S. military bases last February, these bases have been under construction in the Galapagos Islands—a UNESCO World Heritage site—since December. About this situation, former Secretary of State, Fernando Yépez Lasso said, “It is an example of shameful, dangerous, and undignified colonial subservience.”
2. The U.S. imperialist forces’ aggression and hegemonic ambitions in Latin America are being carried out violently under the so-called pretext of “counter-narcotics.” On July 3, Rubio absurdly justified a US military attack on a vessel suspected of being linked to Venezuelan gangs, recklessly claiming that it “will happen again.” The Trump administration slanders that the gang “Tren de Aragua” is connected to the Venezuelan government, but Venezuela has repeatedly declared that, since the “Operation Liberation Cacique Guaicaipuro” in 2023, this gang no longer operates within the country. Meanwhile, on July 4, Venezuelan authorities exposed that the so-called video “evidence” used by the U.S. to justify attacks on alleged “Venezuelan drug-trafficking boats” is highly likely to have been manipulated using AI technology. They revealed that the U.S. is fabricating a justification for military action and economic sanctions—and manufacturing a pretext for war. The justification for building a US military base in the Galápagos Islands is none other than “drug interdiction” as well.
3. We must fight against the US’s military occupation, war provocations, and violations of sovereignty. The construction of U.S. military bases amounts to military occupation and territorial seizure. This is clearly demonstrated by Trump’s recent outrageous remarks claiming control over US military bases in the “Republic of Korea.” Ecuador dismantled the Manta US. military base, which had existed since 1999, following President Rafael Correa’s termination of the US troop stationing agreement in 2008. That same year, a constitutional revision reflecting the will of the people prohibited the stationing of foreign troops and the establishment of military bases on Ecuadorian soil. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has viciously slandered Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a “drug kingpin” and deployed more than 15,000 troops—including 4,000 US Marines—as well as warships to the Caribbean. Behind this lies a scheme to seize Venezuela’s vast oil resources. These realities reveal the grave nature of US imperialism’s domination and aggression masked under the banner of “drug eradication.” Imperialism is the root cause of war and the destroyer of peace. The people of Latin America—and the peoples of the world—must strike a decisive blow against imperialism through the anti-imperialist struggle and defend popular sovereignty and world peace.
