Address by Army General Julio César Avilés Castillo,
Commander-in-Chief of the Military Forces of the Nicaraguan Army.
VI China-CELAC Defense Forum, Beijing 2025
I would like to express our greeting and appreciation to Minister of Defense Dong Jun and the Defense University of the People's Republic of China for organizing this VI China-Latin America Defense Forum, with the theme “A Shared Future and Win-Win Cooperation”, certain that it will develop successfully.
This forum is of special interest to Latin American and Caribbean countries, due to the theme that will be addressed and the consensus that we may achieve concerning the Defense and shared opportunities of the CELAC member countries and China.
We transmit the greetings of Comandante Daniel Ortega and Compañera Rosario Murillo, Co-Presidents of the Republic of Nicaragua and Supreme Commanders of the Nicaraguan Army.
We take the opportunity to reiterate our greeting for the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the War of Resistance of the Chinese People against Japanese Aggression and the Anti-Fascist World War, which the Chinese government and People recently commemorated on September 3rd, a triumph that signified the decisive contribution of the Chinese people to the Victory in the Second World War against fascism and its contribution to World Peace.
Since the creation of CELAC, it has developed its own regional space uniting the 33 States that make it up. A regional instance that has addressed the pretense to dominance and hegemony by the United States accompanied by European countries.
CELAC has sought to achieve a broad consensus to allow progress in the integration of Peoples, the resolution of their conflicts and the promotion of economic development, under conditions of mutual benefit and in Peace.
The China-CELAC Forum, created in 2014, has become a strategic cooperation mechanism, which the People's Republic of China promotes in accordance with its policy of solidarity, supporting the vital interests and strategic development projects of our peoples, under a new framework of relations with a vision of global solidarity along with development and cooperation strategies with the region, promoting peace and security, in the context of a correct vision of joint cooperation.
Contrary to the vision of the People's Republic of China of achieving shared development with Latin American countries, the United States implements aggressive policies to control and dominate the nations of the continent, violating their Sovereignty and Self-determination.
The solid relations between China and the Latin American and Caribbean region are developing and advancing, in the context of a confrontation with the hegemonism of the United States and its allies.
Latin America is living through very complex scenarios, where the United States continues to apply the old and outdated “Monroe Doctrine” of “America for Americans” and seeks to exercise control and dominance with political, economic, financial, commercial coercive measures and the constant threat of the use of Force.
Today, the United States and countries of the European Union are trying to destabilize us with strategies that we already know, because they have been applied in other countries in Asia and Africa and today they are dangerously redirecting their gaze towards Latin America.
The United States threatens regional peace with destabilization strategies against Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
We are target countries today, because we defend our Independence, our Sovereignty and our National Self-determination, and consistent with the fundamental postulates of CELAC, we cannot allow any fraternal Latin American people to be threatened as so many forces are currently doing against our Venezuelan brothers.
The greatness of a country and its relations with others are not built by attacking, nor by threatening, nor by promoting destabilization and coups d'état.
The greatness of a country is not built by plundering the resources of others, much less by using war to subdue a nation.
The greatness of a nation is built on the basis of mutual respect, it is built on the basis of cooperation without conditions, with shared benefits, where we should all aspire to live in Peace, development and well-being.
This Forum is of particular importance because it allows us to address key issues related to the Peace and Stability of our region, and should contribute to the search for consensus-based solutions, so that our Peoples can ensure a lasting Peace, strengthening the mechanisms of collaboration and cooperation in Security and Defense between the People's Republic of China and the Latin American and Caribbean region.
In this way we will be contributing to the construction of a new international order and the peaceful development of our nations, in conditions of regional and global stability, where we all must contribute to building a community of a shared future.
We, the member countries of CELAC, must be consistent with our aspiration for Peace and mutual respect and not accept interference or aggression of any kind.
Those who endorse and accept aggression against a sister country, are also endorsing that they themselves may be attacked, in this sense, defending the sovereign right of a country is also to be consistent defense of one's own sovereign right.
We all have the full right to have relations with friendly nations such as the People's Republic of China and other countries of the world. Relations with China signify unprecedented strategic links between our Peoples, fully in line with the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a “Zone of Peace.”
All CELAC member countries must demand that our Peace be respected. To demand an end to the threats, the aggression, the so-called sanctions and not to allow the use of force on any sovereign territory, particularly against the fraternal Venezuelan people who are being threatened by US military units to wage war on them, which is reprehensible and violates the international order.
We have not heard categorical pronouncements of condemnation from organizations but rather, the silence or consent of these and also of some countries willing to be complicit and guilty of aggressive action violating international law against the fraternal Venezuelan people or any other fraternal country.
We must all be committed to preserving peace and say No to War against any nation.
We are committed to demanding respect for International Law and respect for the Sovereignty and Self-determination of our peoples, in order to preserve the Peace we have today.
We cannot allow the development of strategies for political influence that harm the Sovereignty and Self-determination of our States, because only with Peace and Stability will our countries be able to develop within the framework of a new multipolar world order.
In conclusion, I would like to express that the Nicaraguan Army reaffirms its commitment and willingness to continue strengthening mechanisms of cooperation and fraternal relations with the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Forces that embrace the banners of a Patriotic Nation with Dignity.
Thank you very much.