According to the public relations news unit of Qom University, a conference titled "The Second Revolution from the World's Perspective" was held with the presence of Ms. Romina Guadalupe Pérez Ramos, Bolivia's ambassador to Iran, on the occasion of the National Day of Struggle against Global Arrogance on Monday, November 5, in the Hekmat hall (Hall of Wisdom) at Qom University. The event was attended by brothers and sisters active in political, social, and cultural fields.

 

Romina Pérez expressed her happiness at being at Qom University and thanked the university president and the officials of this student movement, which was held on the occasion of the takeover of the U.S. embassy. She stated: "Three days before the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Iran, a coup occurred in Bolivia, and many Bolivian students took to the streets to protest, with many being injured and killed. At that time, while we were engaged in a coup, we heard reports that Iranian students had managed to seize the U.S. embassy."

 

She added: "This news was very uplifting for us and breathed new life into us, knowing that elsewhere in the world, people were fighting against our common enemy. I was very young at that time, led a national student movement, and was very active in this area. Therefore, I completely understand you, students. I hope we can celebrate this day not only as a national day but as an international and transnational day together."

 

The Bolivian ambassador to Iran continued: "For more than seventy years, the Zionist regime has been committing crimes against Palestinians by openly violating international laws, human rights, and the Geneva Convention, with the support of the United States and its constant use of the veto as a diplomatic tool in the United Nations Security Council to block votes from other countries. Furthermore, its veto power undermines widespread protests and global public opinion that seek to stop the brutal attacks against defenseless people in Gaza and Lebanon through ceasefires."

 

Romina Pérez went on: "Forty-six years ago, with the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the takeover of the U.S. embassy, Iran challenged the most significant imperial power of the Cold War in the region and today has shown the world again that it is not afraid of oppressors. Through “Operation True Promise 2”, it demonstrated its capabilities and capacity while also defending against an attack by occupying forces on October 26, humiliating the Israeli regime. Despite this regime having access to all military equipment from the U.S. and other European states, it suffered a heavy defeat."

 

Regarding the concept of resistance, she explained: "A multipolar world that loves peace is emerging, where countries of the Global South are foundational players in its development, and in this context, BRICS plays an important role. Therefore, we, the people of Latin America who have faced the most oppression and genocide since 1492 by the colonial empire of Spain, cannot be indifferent to popular struggles and resistances, especially the resistance of the Palestinian people. The difference between those genocides and today's genocide in Palestine is that the latter is witnessed live and directly, while the genocide that occurred in Latin America can only be found in books and artistic works."

 

The Bolivian ambassador to Iran stated: "Undoubtedly, without resistance, it is impossible to defeat oppressors, and Palestinians have the right to resist, especially when such resistances are recognized in various international law sources. Third parties must also recognize the legitimacy of the Palestinian people's resistance according to international law."

 

Romina Pérez identified several evident requirements for recognizing this legitimate resistance: "This resistance aligns with the legitimate presence of the United Nations; resistance is a legitimate act in exercising the right to self-determination; resistance is essential in situations where people are in unequal and asymmetric conditions; resistance is a form of collective self-defense against an illegal occupying force when people face foreign domination known as colonialism; and the legitimacy of resistance stems from the lack of international political consensus to stop genocide and war crimes."

 

She emphasized: "This resistance is based on the principle of international law that the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination. For this reason, Palestinians legally have the right to resist an illegal occupying force using all available means. The people of a land are not obliged to declare loyalty to an occupying force; they can employ all methods of struggle to resist and achieve their rightful claim to self-determination."

 

 

The Bolivian ambassador to Iran referred to Bolivia's actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people, explaining that during the presidency of Mr. Evo Morales, Bolivia severed its relations with the Israeli regime after the occupying government launched the operation known as "Cast Lead" in 2008 and 2009. Additionally, when that regime began its Protective Edge operation, Bolivia canceled its visa agreement, which allowed Israeli citizens to enter the country.

 

Romina Pérez added: "Unfortunately, with the coup that occurred in Bolivia, which led to the ousting of Mr. Evo Morales in 2019, the ruling dictatorship resumed relations. The resistance of the Bolivian people, both in the streets and at the ballot boxes, led to the downfall of the dictatorships in 2020, and after the new president came to power, relations were again severed in 2023, and humanitarian aid was sent to Palestine."

 

She continued: "In its latest action on October 8, the multinational government of Bolivia joined South Africa's complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice as one of the signatory members of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide."

 

The Bolivian ambassador to Iran again referred to the National Day of Struggle against Global Arrogance, stating: "The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran described the seizure of the U.S. embassy as a turning point and an unforgettable historical-political event. However, the seizure of the U.S. embassy was not the beginning of the confrontation between the Iranian nation and the United States; this confrontation dates back to Iranian history."

 

She added: "The U.S. acted in Bolivia and generally in Latin America as it did in Iran, executing bloody coups in the 1970s through “Operation Condor.” Bolivia, due to its strategic natural wealth, is a country that has suffered the most from U.S. imperialist invasions through coups. At a time when Bolivia was itself embroiled in a coup, while Bolivian people and students were resisting the dictatorship, we realized that revolutionary students in Iran, aware of Washington's espionage actions against Iran, took action by seizing the U.S. embassy during the emergency situation of the Islamic Revolution."

 

Romina Pérez stated: "We value this historical action highly because students from Iranian universities were fighting against a common enemy called the United States. Today, this common enemy remains. That is why the struggle for resistance against oppression must be global."

 

The Bolivian ambassador to Iran emphasized: "We must continue to fight against oppression like that of the United States and its allies and colonizers like the Zionist regime, and it is essential not to forget the historical memory of people and their struggles; young generations and students play a fundamental role in this regard because they must recover the experiences of struggles from previous generations that have stood up against imperialist powers, especially the United States, in the region and around the world."

 

She added: "We must always keep in mind that resistance is a legitimate matter and generates revolutions that have managed to defeat regimes allied with the United States. It is a duty for Iranian students and youth to create a movement to raise global public awareness against Israel's crimes, which occur with U.S. support, and to socialize Iran's struggle experiences and those of resistance axes to lead to intercontinental unity against global arrogance."

 

Romina Pérez continued: "This intercontinental connection can be organized through associations, events, seminars, etc. so that students can familiarize themselves with the struggle experiences of countries worldwide and plan collective resistance actions as much as possible; this is not out of reach because we have had many positive experiences in this regard."

 

At the continuation of this meeting, Dr. Hajideh Abadi, head of the Scientific and International Cooperation Center of Qom University, expressed his happiness about this meeting, stating: "God willing, this will be a beginning for more communication and interaction between the two nations and their youth, allowing us to achieve positive actions through these interactions."

 

Dr. Fazaeli, a faculty member of the Public Law and International Law Department at Qom University, briefly explained: "International law is the common language of nations in contemporary times and one of the components of soft power that all countries possess as much as possible. We must recognize this capacity, and countries capable of countering imperialist arrogance and domination should coordinate their actions in this regard."

 

He added: One of our weaknesses is that we only repeat our thoughts and ideals for ourselves. One of the actions taken at Qom University is the launch of a magazine in the English language, which is published in the form of a biannual journal. So far, two issues have been published and have gained ISC grades, and God willing, they will receive Scopus grades soon.

 

Dr. Fazaeli continued addressing the Bolivian ambassador to Iran: In this publication, the opinions and views of Iranian Legal scholars and some other countries are published, which provides an opportunity to become familiar with the views and opinions of other countries. Members from various countries are part of this editorial board, and there have been many requests from countries for new membership in the editorial board. Therefore, we request your assistance in promoting this magazine in academic circles and universities in Bolivia. Additionally, a series of international conferences titled "Iran and International Law," for which we are on the verge of holding its third conference, can serve as another platform for Iran's participation with other countries, especially Bolivia.

 

At the end of the meeting, a question-and-answer session took place between the attendees and the ambassador of the multinational country of Bolivia in Iran, after which Ms. Romina Pérez took a stroll around the University.