Latin America political, opinion leaders back Taiwan, bash China

Washington, Oct. 5 (CNA) More than 80 political and opinion leaders as well as scholars from eight Latin American countries have signed a letter supporting the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the face of the "climate of terror" created by the Xi Jinping (習近平) regime.

The letter of support was endorsed via a video conference in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, on Sept. 28, and has since seen a growing number of people sign it.

It was presented on Monday by Directorio Democrático Cubano Secretary-General Orlando Gutierrez in person to Taiwan's office in Miami.

Gutierrez said the significance of the declaration lies in the fact that political leaders of former ROC allies have given their support to Taiwan and expressed opposition to military threats by China.

It proves that "virtue is not left to stand alone," Gutierrez said. "Taiwan, which practices, will definitely have friends."

The nations represented by those who signed the declaration were the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Venezuela, and Cuba.

None of them have formal diplomatic ties with the ROC, with the Dominican Republic the most recent among them to cut ties, which occurred in 2018.

The declaration in Spanish issued an "urgent call to the world and especially to the leaders of democratic nations to deplore the climate of terror promoted by the Xi Jinping regime against [the ROC] and its president Tsai Ing-wen."

It appealed to the international community must reject China's new offensive that has arisen from the closer relations between the U.S. and Taiwan, two countries with a democratic spirit and friends of freedom.

Among those who have signed the letter are Costa Rica Congressman Dragos Dolanescu, former Dominican Minister of Energy and Mining Pelegrín Castillo, former Mexican prosecutor René Bolio, and Colombia Senator María Fernanda Cabal.