Twenty-first century socialism dictatorships do not want peace neither in Ukraine, nor anywhere else in the world

(Interamerican Institute for Democracy) The situation regarding Russia’s invasion to Ukraine signals an urgency for the international peacekeeping and security system to work, but the group of dictatorships comprised by China, Iran, Africa, Americas’ Castrochavist dictatorships, and Para-Dictatorial governments prevent that from happening. 21st Century Socialism’s dictatorships, namely; Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua who are subordinated to Russia, China, and Iran are now the confessed part of crimes against peace and have ratified that their path is a path of violence and terrorism.

Russia’s invasion to Ukraine started the “First Global War” that I have defined as “the generalized conflict that involves all States but in which the armed confrontation is limited to specific areas and parties, a conflict in which there is no neutrality and in which none of the States is excluded.” In this scenario, there are only two parties; that of the aggressor who violates international law and flagrantly commits crimes against peace and humanity, and that of the attacked party -or victim- that becomes the strategic and territorial curb to future invasions.

Globalization is “an economic, social, political, technological, and cultural process at a planetary scale, featured by a progressive integration and interaction between States, people, and institutions,” that -along with capitalism- define the nature of the current world.

The world of the 21st century is capitalist and globalized and the interaction of States, institutions, and people are conducted within that framework. In this century there is no argument or discussion as to the world’s nature or “what” the world is, as used to happen during the Cold War where communism and capitalism often clashed. The dispute of our time consists of “how” is managed, administered, or governed a country which – as part of the world- is part of the globalization and is capitalist. The alternatives are what have defined humanity’s history; freedom with respect for human rights that are expressed in a democracy, or the concentration of power, at the expense of human rights, that are expressed in a dictatorship.

The Global War is a consequence of globalization and, by its nature, does not exclude anyone. In a Global War there may be no direct armed conflict, but there is no impartiality because all States participate either economically, politically, technologically, commercially, culturally, and/or socially. In the globalized world of the 21st century, neutrality is only theoretical, and if it exists, it will always be imperfect.

Russia’s invasion to Ukraine was the only active front of the Global War until Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel propelled the opening of a front in Gaza and there is a possible third front in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal operated by the Houthis with the backing of Iran. In all of these expressions of the Global War, the positioning of governments is pretty much the same; dictatorships and Para-Dictatorial governments, or satellites, support crime and democracies -on the defensive- attempt for the international system to work.

It is not a coincidence for non-democratic governments to express their allegiance against Ukraine and against Israel, it is natural, because they had this position all along before the start of the war. China, Russia, Iran, are dictatorships under diverse types of presentation and/or narratives. China, as a communist State with one and only political party, Russia with nationalism and electoralism, Iran with a theocratic imposition, and all of them violating human rights, indefinitely concentrating all power with impunity, annulling the rule of law, and governing with “State-terrorism” as their basic mechanism for submission. There is no difference, neither of objectives, nor of methods, in any of the dictatorships from Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, but beyond this they are united by a common enemy which is their fear to be held accountable and have to answer for their crimes.

The Summit for Peace in Ukraine, held in Switzerland confirmed the alignment of players in the “first Global War.” Noticeably absent were the dictatorships from Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, as well as the Para-Dictatorial governments of Petro from Colombia, López Obrador from Mexico, Lula from Brazil. They did not sign the consensual declaration expressing unanimity for “nuclear security, maritime transit, and release of Prisoners of War.”

It has been made clear and has been ratified that 21st Century Socialism governments as well as its Para-Dictatorial governments, under the command of Cuba over Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua do not want peace neither in Ukraine, nor in Gaza, and since they do not back the efforts for “nuclear security and maritime transit” have ratified their position over Houthis’ terrorism in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Dictatorships from the Americas have State-terrorism as their only internal asset, and threats against international peace and security and threats against the internal stability of democratic States, as their foreign policy.

*Attorney & Political Scientist. Director of the Interamerican Institute for Democracy.

Translation from Spanish by Edgar L. Terrazas