In the past few days, my country said in an official communique that Paraguay observes with concern and condemns the military exercises carried out by the People’s Republic of China in the vicinity of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The drills constitute a serious threat to the balance in the region.
Paraguay advocates for peace and stability in the world, the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
There is no doubt that the defense of peace and democracy throughout the world is an essential duty to ensure that the rule of law in countries where freedom and justice govern continues permanently and securely.
Any form of intimidation and pressure exerted through a coercive force constitutes a flagrant contravention of the Charter of the UN, which in Article 1 states that all member countries must be peace-loving.
That is why the solidarity expressed by the government and Paraguayans with Taiwan, in this circumstance, acquires special relevance, because it demonstrates the unity of values shared between the nations and that despite the geographical distance, there is a bond of union between the two peoples.
“Ich bin ein Berliner” — “I am a Berliner” — is a famous German phrase declared by then-US president John F. Kennedy during his June 26, 1963, speech in West Berlin, on the balcony of the city hall building in the city’s Schoneberg area. The statement expressed the US’ solidarity with the city’s inhabitants on the anniversary of the blockade of Berlin imposed by the Soviet Union, and the consequent start of construction of the Berlin Wall on Aug. 13, 1961.
Whenever there is a threat or intimidation to this sister Asian nation that seeks to break regional peace or democracy in this country, all lovers of freedom and the rule of law should also say: “I am a Taiwanese.”
Carlos Jose Fleitas Rodriguez is the Paraguyan ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan).
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