September 13, 2019
(Read below for an explanation as to what the pro imperialist American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR) is and how it came about)
The Network in Defense of Humanity categorically rejects the attempt to activate the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR for its Spanish acronym) against the people of Venezuela and with great concern we denounce the decision, made during a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council by a group of countries aligned with the interests of the United States. History attests that this obsolete and ominous instrument has been used to legitimize military interventions by the United States against the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.
On May 14, 2013, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, along with other fraternal countries in the region, withdrew from this infamous colonization treaty riddled with aggression and principles of war. Alternatively, on January 29, 2014, in the framework of CELAC’s Second Summit held in Havana the heads of States and Governments attending declared Latin America and the Caribbean to be a Zone of Peace, in the awareness that war on any of its member countries endangers continental peace and hinders further unity in Our America.
The Network in Defense of Humanity demands respect of international law based on the principles of sovereignty and self-determination of the peoples. Likewise, we insist on initiatives with dialogue as a way to work out differences and controversies among nations and to guarantee the coexistence and friendship of the peoples.
Now as Imperialism is once again resorting to war, the Network in Defense of Humanity calls for the peoples of the world to raise their voices in defense of ideals of peace. The Network also calls on intellectuals, artists and social movements to partake in the World Day of Solidarity with the Venezuelan People to be held on Saturday, September 21, 2019, the International Day of Peace.
At this turning point that is challenging our peoples, let’s struggle along with Venezuela for the peace, unity and sovereignty of Our America.
Network in Defense of Humanity, on September 13, 2019
What is TIAR
The Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR) was signed by a group of countries of the American continent on September 2, 1947, after the Second World War, during the beginning of the “Cold War”. It was created to respond to alleged threats from the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China against the United States and its allies at the time, and dictates that the signatory countries “agree that an armed attack by any State against an American State shall be considered an attack against all American States, and consequently, each of the said Contracting Parties will undertake to help face the attack”.
It is, in other words, TIAR is an equivalent to NATO in that any attack on any country on the American continent by the Soviet Union or China would be considered by the United States and its allies as an attack on themselves and an excuse to respond militarily.
TIAR is being invoked in 2019 with the argument that in Venezuela there is supposedly an “illegitimate government” and that it has the military support of Russia, which is seen by the United States and its allies as an “aggression” and an “attack” that would have to be responded to. For that reason, TIAR is seen as a way of legalizing a U.S.-led military occupation against Venezuela.
Venezuela withdrew six years ago from TIAR, considering it “a dead treaty” since the United States contradicted it in practice in the 1980s”, in reference to the Falklands War, in which that country allied itself with England against Argentina. However, Congressman Juan Guaidó, who proclaimed himself in January as the supposed “interim president” of Venezuela with the support of the United States, asked the National Assembly to reincorporate the country into TIAR last July in order to legitimize an eventual military intervention.
Translations, Resumen Latinoamericano, North America bureau