THE WORKERS' PARTY OF IRELAND

Workers Party call for protest over Peter King comments

US Homeland Security chief's attack on plan for Che Guevara monument is totally unacceptable

Che Guevara (pic Alberto Korda)
Ché - proud of his Irish roots. Iconic photo by Alberto Korda

Councillor Ted Tynan of the Workers' Party has called on the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, to summon the US ambassador and protest in the strongest possible terms to him over remarks made recently by the chairman of Homeland Security in the US, Peter King regarding the proposed erection of a statue in Galway commemorating Che Guevara, hero of the Cuban Revolution, whose Lynch ancestors were Irish.

Cllr. Tynan was commenting on a statement by Peter King, that if the proposed statue of Che Guevara went ahead there would be reprecussions for Ireland. This, said Cllr Tynan, was a threat against this country by a senior politician in the US and as such was a gross intrusion into the affairs of Ireland by a foreign state.

“How dare Peter King or any other US politician issue threats against this country. Whoever the democratically elected council in Galway decide to honour is entirely their own business and not that of any foreign politician". "The Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs must, as a matter of priority, call in the US ambassador and issue the stongest possible rebuke to him regarding King’s threat.”

Cllr Tynan said the behaviour of King and other US politicians was in keeping with the way that country treated Central and South American countries for over a century, however now most of these countries have turned their backs on the US and were no longer afraid of Uncle Sam.

“It was inspiration from Che Guevarra, who was murdered by US agents in Bolivia in 1967, and the Cuban Revolution that has brought this situation about, and the US cannot abide the thought of Che being commemerated anywhere, they hate his memory so much. It is important therefore that our Govenment make it clear to the US that it is not a quisling like administration, which will sit back and fail to rebuke a foreign power which issues threats against this country.” Said Cllr. Tynan.

4th August 2012

Peace, Work, Democracy & Class Politics