Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Greek communist mayor declares US ambassador unwelcome

Kostas Peletidis, the communist mayor of Patras, Greece's third largest city, has once again expressed his firm anti-imperialist stance by declaring the U.S. ambassador as “persona non grata”. 

U.S. ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt has been invited by a local newspaper to participate in a conference that will be held on June 3rd. Peletidis, a Communist Party (KKE) member  who has been mayor since 2014, issued a statement saying that the presence of Pyatt in Patras consists a “provocation” that insults the people's peaceful sentiments.

“For many decades, the people of Patras, struggles against our country's involvement in the USA-NATO-EU imperialist plans in the broader region. Just a few days ago, after a call by the Peace Committee of Patras and Western Achaia, workers and students' unions participated in the mobilization against the murderous actions of Israel in Palestine, condemning the criminal stance of the US and EU, as well as the one of ND government”, reads a statement issued by the mayor.

Peletidis adds that “a constant demand of the people of our city and the Municipal Council is the removal of the military bases in Araxos and Andravida so that nuclear weapons will not be transferred in Araxos”.

In his statement the red mayor points out that the municipal authority will not attend the conference but, on the contrary, will be in the street alongside the youth and the people, demonstrating against the presence of the U.S. ambassador in Patras. 

This is not the first time Peletidis declares Pyatt unwelcome. He had the same stance back in October 2020, when the U.S. ambassador was visiting the city.

A doctor by profession, the KKE-backed mayor Kostas Peletidis was re-elected on June 2019 with 70.22% of the vote.

 IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©