In his greeting to the encounter attended by delegations from 66 parties of all the continents, Lula recognized the struggle engaged by those parties in defense of workers and the poor, the humanist sentiment which guides its members for the eradication of misery, hunger and inequality, as well as their attempt to construct a new world economic order.

The message recalled “we are facing the crisis of a neoliberal model that prevailed in the power and production structures of society over the last three decades.”

“Deregulated, the economy assumed the irresponsible logic of casinos, while public policies, in particular social policies, lost space in the agenda of the people and underdevelopment became a giant mechanism,” said the president.

The presidential message, read to participants by the International Relations Secretary of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Jose Reinaldo Carvalho, says it is fundamental for this moment´s debate.

Lula affirmed this is the time to redeem workers who till the land and run the factories up to the most sophisticated digital labs.

The time is now to redeem work as the great source of wealth creation and prosperity in the struggle for development, he added and stressed “it is required to give incentives to production and greater priority to public infrastructure development and education for the common good.”

Later in the message to the communist and workers party meeting, Lula highlighted “there will only be real solidarity if it is internationalist and comprehends human kind.”

He considered human kind produces enough already to easily satisfy its needs, but there will only be a sustainable future when the lives of 855 million inhabitants are no longer threatened by hunger.

“Moments of crisis bring also a series of opportunities and we must learn to profit from them to rescue the values of solidarity, equality and justice”, he recalled.

In the inaugural session, president of the PCdoB, Renato Rabelo, extolled the importance of this meeting when the capitalist system faces a serious structural and global crisis.

For his part, the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Argentina, Patricio Etchegaray, summoned all communists and revolutionaries over the world to pay homage to the Cuban Revolution in its 50th anniversary.

He highlighted the symbol of resistance and independence upheld by Cuba in continuing construction of the first socialist society in the continent, despite the blockade and aggressions inflicted by the US government.

The Secretary General of the Chilean Communist Party, Lautaro Carmona, condemned the unjust imprisonment in the US of the five Cubans for fighting against terrorism and ratified the solidarity of Chilean communists with the Cuban people and government.

The Cuban delegation spoke in the afternoon with a speech by Fernando Remirez de Estenoz, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.

The meeting will continue over the weekend, including a massive solidarity meeting with the peoples of Latin America, summoned for tomorrow in the “Cuadra de los Bancarios” of this city.

(PL)