1. On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States launched atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The unjustifiable horror launched on the populations of these two Japanese cities caused 250,000 deaths and many more thousands of victims, leaving terrible consequences that seventy years later still persist. It is one of the greatest crimes ever committed, which cannot and must not be forgotten.

The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place at a time when Japan was already defeated and had taken steps for its surrender. But mostly, the launching of the atomic bomb by the US against the Japanese populations was a cold and premeditated demonstration of its military might at the end of World War II, marking the beginning of its nuclear threat and blackmail to the world and, above all, to the Soviet Union, to affirm the US as a hegemonic power on the world stage.

2. Today, in view of the militarist and war escalation led by the US, which continues to wield the nuclear threat, the struggle for the abolition of nuclear weapons, disarmament and peace is of utmost importance.

In this context, the PCP affirms its concern and warns of the dangers of the militarist offensive by the US and NATO in Europe, which include the NATO exercises in Portugal, Spain and Italy, due to start in late September and announced as one of the largest exercises carried out by this bellicist organisation. Military exercises with the perspective of boosting NATO’s intervention in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. The PCP condemns these NATO military exercises and calls for expressions of repudiation of Portugal’s involvement in their execution.

NATO’s military exercises that come under the broader strategy of militarisation of international relations, of arms race and creation and management of hotbeds of destabilisation, tension and conflict in virtually all regions of the world, through which the US and its allies - especially with NATO, a pillar of which is the European Union - seek to ensure the imposition of its hegemonic aims, confronting and attacking all those who resist the imperialist strategy of world domination.

An expression of this is the worsening of the situation in the Middle East, the wars in Syria and Iraq and the Israeli oppression on the Palestinian people, without forgetting the war in Afghanistan; the militarisation of the European Union; the fascistic and military escalation in Ukraine; the installation of the US anti-missile system in Europe; and the strengthening of the US and NATO military forces in Eastern Europe aiming the Russian Federation; the military interventionism and recolonization operations in Africa; the growth of Japanese militarism; the continuing tension in the Korean Peninsula; the growing militarisation of the Far East aimed at China; or the continuation of the blockade against Cuba and the destabilisation of Venezuela and other Latin American countries.

Under cover of vast campaigns of misinformation and manipulation, with which they try to conceal their criminal intentions and actions, the US and its allies promote intervention and war, instrumentalization of xenophobic and fascist groups and their terrorist action, as well as State terrorism, with which they attack the sovereignty and independence of States and the rights of the peoples, disregarding the UN Charter and international law.

3. In an international situation characterized by the structural crisis of capitalism, by a process of realignment of forces worldwide and the resistance and struggle of workers and peoples in defence of their rights, sovereignty and aspirations, imperialism launches a violent exploitative and oppressive offensive – with successive governments binding Portugal to this policy.

It is imperative to make a rupture with the policy of submission to the strategic and military dictates of the US, NATO and EU, which is involving the country in imperialism’s aggressive operations and jeopardizing national sovereignty and independence.

The patriotic and left-wing foreign policy that Portugal needs has to uphold the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, assume the defence of national sovereignty and interest, remain solidary and open to the world, and reject imperialism, colonialism and any type of domination.
A foreign policy that upholds a peaceful settlement of international disputes and puts an end to the Portuguese military participation in operations of interference and aggression against other peoples.

A foreign policy that upholds the abolition of nuclear and mass destruction weapons, the end of the arms race, a gradual, negotiated disarmament process.

A foreign policy that advocates the dissolution of NATO as a key objective for the affirmation of national sovereignty and world peace, articulated with the process of disengagement of the country from its structures, within the framework of the inalienable right of Portugal to decide on its exit.
Portugal must assert itself internationally as a country that advocates peace, progress, solidarity and cooperation among the peoples of the world. This will be the greatest contribution of the Portuguese people to a Europe and a world of peace.

4. 70 years after the launching of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the struggle for peace is more pressing and topical than ever.

To remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not forgetting its hundreds of thousands of victims, but in their honour, to intervene so that never again Humanity will suffer the nuclear horror.

Confident that it is within reach of the peoples, of the anti-imperialist and peace-loving forces to ward off the threat of catastrophe into which imperialism wants to launch Humanity, the PCP reaffirms its commitment to contribute to the strengthening of the peace movement and of solidarity with the peoples victim of imperialist aggression.

The PCP calls on workers, youth, all lovers of peace to strengthen the struggle against militarism, against interference and war, and for peace, disarmament - in particular for nuclear disarmament - for the peaceful settlement of international conflicts, for the end of foreign military bases, for the dissolution of NATO, for respect of sovereignty and national independence, for social progress, friendship and cooperation among peoples.