Hugo Chávez and Cuba condemn Israel's brutal massacre of aid activists

Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs, Caracas

May 31, 2010 -- The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Commander Hugo Chávez, emphatically condemns the brutal massacre perpetrated by the State of Israel against the members of the Liberty Flotilla, as a result of the war action started by the Israeli Army against defenceless civilians, who tried to carry humanitarian aid supplies to the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip, who are victims of the criminal blockade imposed by the State of Israel.

President Hugo Chávez, on behalf of his government and the Venezuelan people, expresses his deepest regret and sends his deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the heroes who have been victims of this state crime, and commit to honour their memory and to give the necessary help so that the responsible of this murderers  are severely punished.

The revolutionary government of Venezuela will continue denouncing the terrorist and criminal nature of Israel, and it reaffirms, today more than ever, its unbreakable commitment with the fight of the Palestinian people for freedom, the sovereignty and the dignity.

Venezuela will support UN Human Rights Council investigation on Israeli attack against humanitarian boat convoy

Office of the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs, Caracas

June 2, 2010 -- The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will support the investigation that the UN Human Rights Council will conduct on the Israeli army's attack against the humanitarian boat convoy, which tried to transport humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

This announcement was made by the Minister of People's Power for Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro, who is in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, attending the World Summit on the Future of Haiti.
The Venezuelan official highlighted: "we ratified the strongest condemnation, and we also support the decision of the UN Human rights Council to start an investigation. We are going to support this investigation."

The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution, which the United States refused to endorse, to condemn the attack of Israeli assault forces on a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

Most of the members of the UN Human Rights Council, whose sessions take place in Geneva, condemned and regretted this event, which resulted in the killing of nine people, most of them Turkish nationals.
These measure includes the dispatch of an independent fact finding mission to investigate violations of international law resulting from the Israeli attack.

In this regard, Maduro indicated that this investigation "must aim to punish this state-terrorist crime against a group of civilians transporting humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip."

On Tuesday, June 1,  the UN Security Council held an urgent debate but it did not issue a condemnation against Israel for the attack. It only regretted the killing of people during the Israeli assault against the humanitarian convoy, but it did not announce measures to prevent these events from happening in the future.

Cuba: Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Havana, May 31, 2010 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba has learned with profound concern of the criminal attack perpetrated in the early hours of May 31 by the special forces of the Israeli Army on a flotilla of boats which, in international waters, was transporting humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people resident in the Gaza Strip, an attack that provoked death and injury among various members of that flotilla.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its most energetic condemnation of this devious and criminal attack on the part of the Israeli government and calls on the international community and peace-loving peoples to demand the immediate lifting by the Israeli authorities of the illegal, ruthless and genocidal blockade of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Cuba wishes to convey its most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and reiterates its support for and solidarity with the just cause of the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights, which include the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.