More than 5000 people from more than 40 countries took part in the summit, established to give a voice to the poor and marginalised victims of climate change. Proposals and demands agreed on at the summit will be taken directly to the United Nations climate talks in Paris starting on November 30.

Morales used his closing speech on October 12 to remind Latin Americans that they have a responsibility to continue to fight against imperialism, colonialism and capitalism.

The country’s first indigenous leader was speaking on the Day of Indigenous Resistance – as “Columbus Day” is known in Bolivia. He declared that more than 500 years after Spanish colonial conquest, Bolivia was free from imperialism.

“We have liberated ourselves from imperial domination and neoliberal politics,” he said.

He said that Bolivia has recovered control over its resources thanks to the power of social movements, but the United States was planning invade other countries to “rob their economy” and “loot their natural resources”.

Morales said that “new generations, out of principle for life and humanity, have to be anti-imperialist”.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also addressed the summit that day, calling on the people of the world to take a stand at the upcoming climate change talks in Paris to pressure world leaders to take decisive action.

Available at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/60352