THE Palestinian people’s fight for national liberation stands at the centre of the struggle for socialists, progressives and all those seeking to build a better world in the 21st century.

For decades, Latin America’s left has been among Palestine’s strongest allies and, as a genocidal war has been waged against the Palestinian people in recent months, left governments and movements in Latin America have been vocal in their condemnation of what Hugo Chavez once described as the “terrorist and murderous state” of Israel.

From the moment it came into existence, revolutionary Cuba has been at the forefront of this movement in the region. From Che Guevara’s visit to the refugee camps of Gaza in 1959, Cuba has been unwavering in its support for the Palestinians – providing direct assistance to the Palestinian fedayeen (guerillas) in the ’60s and ’70s, severing all diplomatic relations with Israel in 1973 and supporting Palestine’s attempts to gain international recognition as an independent state in recent years.