Latin American countries demonstrate on first anniversary of Iraqi war

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 21, 2004

Latin American countries demonstrate on first anniversary of Iraqi war

Thousands of protesters across the Latin American countries went to the streets on Saturday and demonstrated against the occupation of Iraq by the US-led forces since March 20, 2003.

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Thousands of protesters across the Latin American countries went to the streets on Saturday and demonstrated against the occupation of Iraq by the US-led forces since March 20, 2003.

The demonstrations were a result of coordinated efforts of the 4th World Social Forum held at Bombay, India to commemorate the first anniversary of the war.

In Sao Paulo, the biggest city of Brazil, several social and political groups, including the State Committee against the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas), the Workers Central Union and the Landless Workers Movement organized a large scale demonstration.

The demonstrators stationed in front of the city's Art Museum for 14 hours before marching on through the central Paulista Avenue.

Thousands of Chileans went to the Italy square and marched through the Bernardo O'Higgins boulevard to the government headquarters of the Currency Palace in the Constitution square.

While demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq, the demonstrators also voiced solidarity with the victims of the March11 train bombings in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

Gladys Martin, president of the Communist Party, one of the rally's organizers, described the US government as the "number oneterrorist of the world."

Greenpeace, an ecological organization, also staged a protest outside the US Embassy, where they put 200 petunia flowers as a symbol of peace.

Greenpeace representative to Chile Gonzalo Villarino said the US-led campaign lacked justification, adding that the occupation of Iraq was "illegal, illicit and immoral."

Some 10,000 Cubans took on Saturday to the streets of the Cuetolocality, 700 km east of the capital Havana, demanding that the USforces withdraw from Iraq immediately.

The protesters defended Iraq's right to independence and expressed their support for and sympathy with the Spaniards who have suffered immensely in the series of train bombings, which killed 202 people and wounded over 1,400.

The Cuban demonstrators urged the US to free the five Cubans accused of espionage and condemned the laws, which have strengthened the embargo Washington imposed on the country more than 40 years ago.

In Managua, the capital of Honduras, groups of Hondurans also joined the international protests against the US-led intervention in Iraq.

The organizers of the protests said in a report that their efforts were part of the world day against the "US intervention inIraq and Haiti".

Protests were also launched in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic.

Source: Xinhua

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