As the United States ramps up its military presence in the Caribbean, critics across Latin America are drawing renewed attention to a long and painful history of U.S. intervention in the region.
In a recent interview with China Media Group (CMG), Nicaraguan political figures reflected on the country's history under U.S. influence, with a congressman saying Nicaragua has long resisted U.S. intervention and that Washington does not want to see Latin American nations rise up.
Nicaragua was among the earliest and most persistent targets of U.S. political, economic, and military hegemony. From repeated military interventions in the early 20th century to covert operations in the 1980s, the Central American nation has repeatedly found itself in U.S. crosshairs.
After direct military aggression against Nicaragua failed, the United States backed Anastasio Somoza, who had studied in the U.S. and long remained loyal to Washington, elevating him to head of the Nicaraguan army.
In 1934, Somoza sent the national guard to assassinate Nicaraguan independence leader Augusto Cesar Sandino.
He subsequently seized power in 1936 through manipulated elections, marking the beginning of the Somoza family's dictatorial rule over Nicaragua, which lasted for more than 40 years.
The United States had provided substantial political, military, and economic support to the Somoza family, which was widely regarded as a pro-American proxy regime in Central America.
In the struggle against the Somoza regime, numerous Nicaraguans sacrificed their lives.
"This heroic act took place on Feb. 26, 1978. A group of young people organized themselves to fight against the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. Unfortunately, their whereabouts were betrayed, and they were brutally massacred here by the National Guard. Right here at the Camilo Ortega Memorial Museum, we pay tribute to them every Feb. 26 for their significant contributions to Masaya and Nicaragua," said Janina Noguera, mayor of Masaya.
In July 1979, the Somoza family's dictatorship was overthrown; however, the United States continued to interfere in Nicaragua. Throughout the 1980s, the U.S. supported various anti-government armed groups, instigating a civil war that plunged Nicaragua back into turmoil.
"Nicaragua is located in the central part of the Americas, and has therefore long been considered a country that the United States must control. Furthermore, Nicaragua has a long history of resisting the will imposed by the United States, and the United States does not want to see any Latin American country 'rise up'," said Wilfredo Navarro, a Nicaraguan congressman.
As U.S. boosts Caribbean military presence, critics in Latin America recall interventionist past
China is willing to provide humanitarian assistance to Cambodia to help resettle displaced people in border areas, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday in Yuxi, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Following the signing of a joint statement agreeing to a ceasefire, the Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers are leading delegations meeting in Yunnan from Dec. 28 to 29 at Wang's invitation.
China has been closely following the tense situation on the Cambodia-Thailand border and remains committed to facilitating peace through talks, Wang said, adding that China congratulates both sides on reaching a ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire marks the beginning of peacebuilding, Wang said, calling on the two sides to proceed in a phased and measured approach to promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, restore normal interactions, rebuild mutual trust, achieve turnaround in bilateral relations, and uphold peace and stability in the region.
He said that both countries can make good use of this face-to-face opportunity for diplomatic and military representatives to engage in dialogue and communication in a flexible manner, enhance mutual understanding, and build mutual trust. He also expressed hope that all sides would jointly send a message of peace from Yunnan, reach a consensus on peace, and demonstrate prospects for peace.
China supports ASEAN in playing its due role and stands ready to provide assistance to the ASEAN observation mission in monitoring the ceasefire, Wang said.
He added that China also hopes Cambodia will continue to enhance protection for Chinese citizens and projects in the country.
Cambodia highly values China's positive role in mediating the conflict, said Prak Sokhonn, citing the informal tea gathering among the foreign ministers of Cambodia, China and Thailand in Anning, Yunnan Province, as well as shuttle diplomacy conducted by China's special envoy.
Thanks to the joint efforts of China and other parties, Cambodia and Thailand were able to convene a meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission, and their militaries signed a ceasefire agreement, he said.
Sokhonn said Cambodia is ready to work with Thailand to fully implement the ceasefire agreement, make full use of existing dialogue mechanisms, and steadily build mutual trust between the two countries and their armed forces.
These steps, he noted, are vital to restoring bilateral exchanges, normalizing relations, and resolving the boundary issue at an early date.
Cambodia hopes for the early arrival of peace and expects the trilateral meeting to help rebuild lasting stability, he said.
The two sides also exchanged views on China-Cambodia relations, agreeing that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, positive progress has been made in building an all-weather Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era.
The Cambodian side expressed gratitude for China's support and assistance to its development, describing China as its most reliable and trusted partner. It reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle, its opposition to Taiwan secessionism, and its support for China's reunification cause.
China will deliver humanitarian aid to Cambodia for displaced people along border: Chinese FM
