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Original Article (Spanish)

By Maria Salomé Campanioni

August 8, 2005

The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, taking part in the opening ceremonies for the World Festival of Students and Youth, and spoke on the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"We pay tribute to the victims of those suicidal terrorist acts, to their pain, and condemn those attacks as the greatest acts of terrorism in recorded history. Today, 60 years later, in the Valley of Caracas, we are operating an atomic bomb that gives life here, the youth of the World is here," he said

Simón Bolivar

"We are here for the world and to save to the world for you, and for all of our descendants. The world's youth have arrived in many different ways to our Caracas, cradle of one of the greatest men that has ever been born on this earth, The Liberator, Simon Bolivar."

[Editor's Note:  Simón Bolivar, July 24, 1783 - December 17, 1830, was a South American revolutionary leader credited with leading the fight for independence from Spain in what are now the nations of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Bolivia. He is revered as a hero in these countries and throughout much of Latin America].

Chávez offered a retrospective on one of the greatest events of the past 60 years, since the end of World War II to the present time, meaning the triumph of the Revolution of Fidel Castro, "the bearded one" of Havana, that gave birth to a new historical trend, and for whom "the Ché" [Che Guevara] is, "our eternally young, eternally inspiring, and the infinite engine for those of us who fight for this land and the entire world.

[Editor's Note: Dr. Ernesto Rafael Guevara de la Serna, June 14, 1928, October 9, 1967, commonly known as "Che Guevara" or "el Che," was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary and Cuban guerrilla leader. Guevara was a member of Fidel Castro's "26th of July Movement," which seized power in Cuba in 1959.]

Simón Bolivar

He recalled the fall of the Soviet Union after 80 years, which, "brought an end to the 'brake' on the aggressive, expansionist policies of the United States and shook the world's geopolitical balance. But from Caracas we say to them NO - that they will not be the masters of the world," advised the president of Venezuela.

He welcomed the presence of so many young people to Venezuela for the 16th World Festival of Students and Youth, which he described as "a truly joyous encounter of hope, a place to embrace the battle of ideas and to search for new horizons."

"I am sure that you have become aware of the situation, and it is possible that these encounters promote the development of conscience, as we face the huge challenges that lie before us, not just within our own region or continent, by in the world of ideas and for the socialism that we believe is a necessary and unique road that will save the world."

The 'Bearded One'

"The challenge that we have ahead is the salvation of the planet, of the world, a world threatened by the voraciousness of North American imperialism, which that knows no bounds," affirmed the Venezuelan president.

He greeted Cuban President Fidel Castro from the podium, who he described as," a giant in the fight for our people."

"This century will be our century, we are not willing to continue to kneel and we are determined to be free," the Venezuelan leader said before leaving the opening ceremony of the Sixteenth World Festival of Students and Youth at edge of midnight.