A side of politics

The following was received via email today from the Trinidad and Tobago Bolivarian Solidarity Movement. Posting is not an endorsement of the statement but for an exposition of the tone of relations existing within our sphere as Trinidadians and Tobagonians. The letter is purported to be written by five Catholic priests one of whom is said to be a leading liberation theologian:

His Excellency President Barack Obama 

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 March 12, 2015

 Dear President Obama, We greet you as a brother in Christ Jesus our Lord, with love and respect, in compliance with the mandate that we must love even those who behave as enemies against us. What happened to you, dear brother? What became of that brave and enlightened Obama who in 2008, and throughout his presidential campaign, talked about change, REAL change which people could believe in? You inspired hope among millions, both in the United States and around the world, including us. 

We remember opinion polls registering a dangerously significant number of African Americans not being in favor of your being elected, but not because they didn’t like you or because they didn’t agree with the things you were saying. They loved you too much. They didn’t want you to be murdered by the industrial-military-financial complex which they felt would certainly do so if you had the courage to carry through with your vision and promise to have the United States return to membership in the human community. That is, to stop the U.S. from behaving in a way that could only generate ever greater wars, to the point of wiping out our own human species. 

You personally knew that the United States was the most hated country in the history of the world for its arrogance and diabolical national objective of full spectrum dominance. Contrary to what was the case with leaders such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, who were never ever accused of being intelligent, you are clearly an intelligent person.

 Besides that, you showed signs of deeply rooted ethical and moral values and adherence to the principles and values proclaimed by Jesus and, in fact, by all great spiritual leaders of the world regardless of religion. What prompts us, dear brother, to write this letter is your extremely shameful Executive Order of March 9, 2015 declaring a National Emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Venezuela. It could not fail to remind us of a similar Order issued by Reagan more than three decades ago to grant a free hand in launching his Contra War against Nicaragua in the 1980’s. We say shameful and extremely hypocritical, but also your Executive Order is a flagrant violation of international law by constituting a threat of the use of force against Venezuela and, at the same time, serving as a stimulus to your Venezuelan lackeys to continue in their efforts to destabilize the country. 

You should know, dear brother, that in Latin America there is a growing sense of unity and solidarity in what people in the region consider to be their extended Latinamericanafrocaribbean Fatherland. While fully rejecting your arrogant and interventionist Executive Order, we entreat you to turn to Jesus, brotherhood and solidarity and to reject, once and for all, the demons of greed, war and full spectrum dominance. 

You will continue to be in our prayers for you, your loved ones, your country and our world. God’s amazing grace would not fail you, if only you do not turn your back on Him. Love and blessings, 

Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, M.M. Nicaragua Bishop Pedro Casaldáliga Brazil Ramsey Clark U.S.A. Leonardo Boff Brazil Bishop Thomas Gumbleton U.S.A Cc. Pope Francis