[Síguenos ahora también en WhatsApp. Da clic aquí]

After the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime by a coalition of rebel groups, The most difficult issue to resolve will be the issue of Syria’s territorial integrity. said Ambassador Jorge Alvarez Fuentes, member of the Mexican Council of Foreign Affairs and professor at the University of America Puebla (UDLAP).

During an interview with Aristegui Liveassured that the fall of Bashar al-Assad is “an event of great significance” after 14 years of civil war, so he believes this will have huge consequences for this country and the region.

“Why am I saying this? Because this puts Syria at a real crossroads. You have to think that 16 million Syrians are experiencing a humanitarian crisis today. 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. This is a country whose northern territory is also occupied by Turkey and militias that sympathize and support the Turkish cause against the Kurds,” he noted, recalling the Israeli presence in the Golan Heights, which it is “taking advantage of” in the situation.

“Something really amazing happened: a coalition of organizations emerged, some are militias who clearly identify with the jihadist ideology of radical political Islam. Within a few days, they managed to take control of Aleppo, Hama and Homs and advanced against the city of Damascus with virtually no defense, leading to the departure of Bashar al-Assad, which was considered impossible. “, he commented.

Alvarez Fuentes believes that there was “particularly dangerous situation”because there is a vacuum in government institutions.

He recalled how both his father and Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria: in “one of the most brutal regimes” in human history, which detained thousands of Syrians during the 24 years of Bashar’s rule and the 30 years of Hafez al-Assad’s rule.

In this sense, the fall of the Assad regime This will affect the conflict in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, as well as the war in Yemen.

“What happened in Syria It’s literally an erupting volcano. and this highlights the enormous difficulties that exist in this part of the world to achieve a peaceful transition,” he said and acknowledged that “There are positive signs” for example, the recognition that the prime minister of the Assad government served as a liaison for the coalition that took over the reins of government, or the amnesty that was given to Syrian army conscripts.

Therefore, he stated that it will be very important for the Syrians themselves to lead the process of dialogue and negotiations for a peaceful transition that The question still remains whether it will be inclusive and secular. -given the coexistence of Christians, Druze, Kurds and Alawites in the region-, or Islamic laws will be imposed.

Another positive sign is the appointment Mohamed al-Bashir as interim prime minister, because he has been appointed temporarily until March 1, 2025, and because he is recognized as a figure who has played a fairly constructive role and has authority.

The scientist recalled that the country was destroyed after 14 years of civil war, there are 7 million refugees, many of them in Turkey, hundreds of thousands in Jordan and almost 2 million in Lebanon. “What will happen to all of them? “We saw dramatic scenes of many of them being beaten at border crossings, some of them, by the way, were destroyed by Israel,” he said.

“We are in a scenario of enormous uncertainty and instability, where a number of factors must come together: negotiations that have completely failed today, which Iran, Turkey and Russia wanted to promote. The so-called Astana process is absolutely broken. because the two big losers in supporting Bashar al-Assad are Iran and then Russia.”

According to Alvarez Fuentes, the rebel offensive would not have achieved its goals if Hezbollah had not reduced its offensive capabilities and if Russia had provided more support to the Assad government if it had not been involved in the war with Ukraine.

In addition, he noted that, according to the latest data, Russia has already talked to the rebels about its naval and air base in Syria.to ensure your safety.

“Should there be transitional justice?” – he asked. “Probably not in these first 90 days,” the scientist said, emphasizing Syria’s role as a central country whose capital Damascus has been the capital of the world for a thousand years and connects fundamental regions of the Middle East.

The specialist believes that the support of the international community, as well as the support of Arab countries, starting with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will be fundamental.

“They must leave their interference behind. Many of them, when the popular uprising broke out and the civil war began, took sides and wanted to overthrow Bashar al-Assad at any cost. But Türkiye intervened, Russia intervened, Hezbollah intervened, and they prevented it. The Arab countries with the most influence, as well as Egypt and Jordan, which is a neighboring country, must contribute,” he commented.

“So Syria is not an unnecessary country, it is a fundamental country.” […] As a diplomat, I continue to be among the optimists. We need to think about how to build. And the most difficult issue will be the territorial integrity of Syria. Without a doubt, this is where many of the issues at stake will be identified and resolved,” the academician predicted.

“We are faced with an unprecedented, unexpected situation. And it could also ultimately change the course of events in the Middle East. It is impossible to renounce the past with all its complexities and difficulties, but there is also an urgent need to build a different future, a promising future, an inclusive future,” he said.

Watch the full interview: