Venezuela

Your Excellency Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly, Your Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the Organization, Heads of Delegations, Ministers, Ambassadors,

1. From the homeland of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and Commander Hugo Chávez, we convey warm regards on behalf of the Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and the entire Venezuelan People.

2. Allow us to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election. We wish to express our solidarity with the sister nations of Libya and Morocco for the recent and painful loss of lives due to natural disasters.

Mr. President,

1. 78 years ago, at that historic moment when humanity, having defeated fascism and Nazism, envisioned the creation of a space where dialogue among all states would prevail, from which we could build global stability and cooperation on the pillars of peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development.

2. 18 years ago, our Commander Hugo Chávez stated on this stage: "The United Nations has exhausted its model, and it is not simply a matter of reform. The 21st century demands profound changes that can only be achieved through a restructuring of this organization." Painful as it is to acknowledge, this statement remains relevant. The United Nations has not fulfilled its foundational purpose, and we now face even more serious challenges.

3. The UN has not managed to overcome the unilateralism of countries that, by reproducing colonial and imperial logic, seek to assert themselves above the principles enshrined in this Organization's founding Charter. The solution to the new and complex challenges facing humanity today cannot be achieved without consolidating inclusive multilateralism, the democratization of international relations, and a multipolar system.

4. Today, we see how many agencies, programs, and funds of the United Nations system fail to fulfil their mandates and end up being instrumentalized by the interests of the United States of America and its allies. We must reform the organization to make it a democratic institution where all members have a voice and participate in decision-making on equal terms.

5. It is essential to return to the practice of consensus, including within this General Assembly, which presupposes ending the zero-sum mentality and promoting a win-win vision that allows us to effectively address collective interests through cooperation, tolerance, and understanding. It is equally necessary to advance in the reform of the Security Council to correct historical imbalances and provide greater representation to our mother Africa in that important body.

6. The United Nations cannot continue to operate as it is. How many more resolutions must this General Assembly adopt to put an end once and for all to the criminal blockade against our sister Cuba? How many more resolutions must this General Assembly or the Security Council itself, whose decisions are legally binding, approve for the rights of Palestine to be truly respected as a free and independent state?

7. We wonder: how many more summits will be necessary to confirm the non-compliance with commitments made, particularly in the field of development? How much more time must pass for us to realize that, under the current system, it is impossible to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves? Since the year 2000, when we agreed on the now-extinct Millennium Development Goals, no less than thirty summits convened by the UN have taken place.

8. It is crucial to move forward without further delay regarding the reform of the international financial architecture, including the governance and decision-making methods of the Bretton Woods institutions, which serve the interests of a minority of wealthy countries, and they also politicize them to exert pressure and domination over sovereign nations.

9. The restructuring of the United Nations involves settling the historical debt of decolonization. Our peoples were victims of the crimes of colonization and slavery. A just future is only possible if reparations are made for the recognition, justice, and development of historically affected populations.

10. We also reiterate our strong support for Argentina, Mauritius, and Comoros in their sovereignty disputes over the Falkland Islands, the Chagos Archipelago, and Mayotte Island, respectively, as well as for the heroic peoples of Palestine, Puerto Rico, and Western Sahara, whom we firmly stand with in their just claim for their inalienable right to self-determination and the realization of their legitimate national aspirations.

Mr. President,

11. In recent hours, very concerning events have taken place. The government of the United States of America, believing itself to be the sovereign of our Continent under the pretext of the illegal Monroe Doctrine, has once again intervened in a territorial dispute that has lasted for over 200 years concerning our territory of Guayana Esequiba. The origin of this controversy lies in the dispossession of our territory by the British Empire during the height of its violence in the 19th century. The imperialist aggression was fraudulently imposed by the powers of the time in 1899.

12. Today, the government of the United States of America seeks to appropriate our oil resources by using Exxon Mobil, which has incorporated the government of Guyana into its ranks. Guyana is granting oil concessions in an undelimited maritime territory, in total violation of international law. Unilateral disposal of a disputed territory is not permissible, but the Republic of Guyana persists in its illegal conduct.

13. We denounce that the government of the United States of America intends to militarize the situation. The Southern Command seeks to establish a military base in the contested territory with the aim of creating a spearhead in its aggression against Venezuela and consolidating the plunder of our energy resources.

14. Two days ago, the National Assembly of Venezuela unanimously decided to call upon our people to participate in a Consultative Referendum to reaffirm the defence of our sovereign territory in the face of the aggression of the American empire, which seeks to lead us into a war over natural resources. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to peace but also its firm determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Mr. President,

15. The protection of cyberspace, the fight against cybercrime, the regulation of new information technologies, social media, and artificial intelligence must become a strategic priority for the United Nations. If we truly advocate for the defence of human rights and democratic principles, we must promote fair and equitable regulation that prevents the concentration of these new tools in the hands of a few, driven by their interests and control. We cannot accept the use of these new technologies to destabilize legitimate governments and destroy social harmony and peace.

16. Our country has serious and legitimate concerns in this regard, given the destabilization, espionage, sabotage, and cyberattacks that have been carried out in recent years against the banking sector, the electrical system, the oil industry, and national healthcare systems.

17. To reclaim the founding spirit of the United Nations, hate speech and practices must be mitigated, and attempts by some sectors to promote racist, discriminatory, and xenophobic trends must be unequivocally rejected. These trends seek to revive and even glorify ideologies we thought were overcome, such as fascism, Nazism, neo-Nazism, white supremacism, and nationalist radicalisms.

18. While these phenomena have their main manifestations in Europe and the United States of America, our own region of Latin America and the Caribbean has not been exempt from such episodes. Fifty years ago, a just man who dared to speak great truths from this very podium and called on us to work for a fairer international economic order, President martyr Salvador Allende, was assassinated by fascists acting on behalf of transnational capital interests.

19. In more recent times, political extremism and the culture of hatred driven by similar interests promoted an attack on our Head of State and Government in 2018, as well as an assassination attempt on our colleague Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Vice President of the Republic of Argentina. This is added to attempts to disregard the democratic will of the Brazilian people earlier this year and recent developments in the sister Republic of Ecuador.

20. With double standards, those who claim to defend freedoms become persecutors. Those who claim to defend democracy activate mechanisms of political persecution to reverse democratic processes or to restrict freedom of expression, as in the case of Julian Assange, who remains a political target of those who cannot forgive him for revealing the true nature of imperialist interventionism.

21. We also reject the persecution of diplomats, a clear violation of the Vienna Convention, as in the case of our diplomat, Alex Saab, who was illegally kidnapped by the government of the United States of America. We demand his immediate release. This type of persecution jeopardizes the security and integrity of all diplomatic envoys worldwide, regardless of their nationality. From the UN, we call on all countries to reject this nefarious practice.

Mr. President,

22. The current crisis of global leadership, including within this very Organization, coupled with the polarization prevailing in our world, exacerbates the current global crisis and threatens to solidify a Cold War mentality in international relations, based on confrontation, deepening divisions, and the imposition of divergent visions and agendas.

23. An example of this is the irresponsible provocations by the most powerful military force in the world, which, by dividing the world into power blocs, exacerbates conflicts, leading humanity into an arms race that can only result in the destruction of life on the planet. Let us measure how much has been invested in armaments and how much in promoting spaces for diplomacy and dialogue, and we will painfully realize how many opportunities to save lives have been lost.

24. We express our concern at the rapid increase in military spending in recent months, reaching levels unseen in recent generations. This represents a new and alarming arms race that diverts resources that would have greater benefits for humanity if they were used not only in financing development agendas or fighting poverty but also in addressing the food crisis and the climate crisis that currently threatens the world.

25. We support the proposal of Colombian President Gustavo Petro to convene a world conference for peace in Ukraine and Palestine.

26. We call for addressing these issues in a balanced and cautious manner, reducing tensions, and promoting confidence-building measures, not only in the Eastern European region but also on the Korean Peninsula and in Western Asia. We are confident that this will create a conducive environment for the success of diplomatic efforts for peace.

27. Venezuela is committed to the Declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. We actively participate in the reconciliation process in the Republic of Colombia, convinced that the achievement of "Total Peace" for our sisters and brothers will contribute to the consolidation of regional peace.

Mr. President,

28. The world still faces a major pandemic: the pernicious effects of an aggressive policy, manifested in the illegal imposition of unilateral coercive measures against a third of humanity.

29. The so-called sanctions, violative of all norms of international law and the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, constitute mass violations of human rights for millions of people. These measures are applied precisely by those who then present themselves as champions of human rights.

30. They are also a deliberate attack on the right to development of entire peoples and an impediment to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, which has been discussed throughout this week. These illegal measures have created a crisis in the system of international relations, and we demand their complete, immediate, and unconditional lifting.

31. It is unacceptable for our peoples, who daily resist the effects of a criminal blockade policy, for this General Assembly to attempt to ignore in its political documents such an outrage. Therefore, we cannot endorse any declaration that ignores or omits this pivotal issue for the lives and existence of hundreds of millions of human beings.

32. How much our countries could improve the quality of life for our peoples, eradicate hunger, or cure diseases if we were allowed to fully develop our capacities based on our vast potential!

33. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been a victim of a cruel policy of aggression and siege. More than nine hundred and thirty unilateral coercive measures have been imposed on our country by the government of the United States of America and its accomplices.

34. These illegal measures have caused great pain and suffering for our people, with economic losses amounting to over $232 billion, a steep drop in our GDP, and the confiscation of billions of dollars in sovereign resources held in the international financial system, including thirty-one tons of gold seized by the British government in the Bank of England.

35. Not even the COVID-19 pandemic was reason enough to lift these illegal measures. Today, we face a new generation of more cruel and destructive unilateral coercive measures that affect access to vaccines, food, and other essential goods and services, turning these atrocities into true crimes against humanity.

36. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has recommended the suspension and lifting of any harmful unilateral coercive measures on human rights. Venezuela demands the complete, immediate, and unconditional end to all illegal policies of sanctions and economic, commercial, and financial blockades to which Venezuela, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Syria, Zimbabwe, and other sister nations, which have successfully navigated these imperial policies with determination and commitment.

37. We thank all the peoples of the world and so many sister nations that have called for the lifting of sanctions from platforms such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - Peoples' Trade Treaty, the Caribbean Community, the Southern African Development Community, and each of the countries in this very chamber that have demanded the lifting of sanctions. This demonstrates that Venezuela has never been alone.

38. Without the obstacle of unilateral coercive measures, Venezuela is prepared to be part of the solution to the crisis, particularly in the areas of food security and energy.

Mr. President,

39. We propose the establishment of a "Zone Free of Unilateral Coercive Measures" in which we can conduct our financial transactions and interbank payments, allowing us to guarantee direct investments and legal trade between our nations, without risks or arbitrary or punitive impediments by Western powers.

40. Nevertheless, despite the difficulties and aggression, our government's commitment to eradicating poverty, achieving social justice, and fully enjoying all human rights, as well as our commitment to the sister peoples of Our Latin America and the world, is unwavering.

41. Despite the attacks, aggression, siege, and looting resulting from unilateral coercive measures, Venezuelan economy has begun a process of recovery, with projected growth figures far surpassing those of other countries in our region, as highlighted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and other specialized organizations. These results, achieved through our own efforts, have made us a regional benchmark for economic growth, all while never neglecting the essentials: protecting our people through social investment.

Mr. President,

42. We are facing an existential climate catastrophe for millions of people, especially for our brothers and sisters from Small Island Developing States, both in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The effects of years of climate injustice, marked by unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, have accelerated in recent years. Libya has been one of the most recent victims of the impacts of climate change, which has also affected our country with floods and record temperatures in recent months.

43. In renewing our firm commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, we insist on the need to ensure adequate funding for the loss and damage fund, always bearing in mind the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and equity. We know that the resources exist, where they are, and who has them. As Comandante Chavez said 14 years ago, let's not change the climate, let's change the system.

Mr. President,

44. In the face of the economic and financial crisis that particularly affects developing countries, we need a new model for the mechanisms of global governance, where the Global South has fair access to international financing. Until there is a true and effective reform of the multilateral system in the financial sphere, the Sustainable Development Goals, the subject of this meeting, are destined to be unfulfilled.

45. Debt is an essential problem for developing countries, and there is little hope that things will improve soon if the current system is not radically changed. The World Bank, the IMF, and Western credit institutions, while charging low interest rates to their friends, burden developing countries with unpayable interest rates, which some experts have termed a criminal financial apartheid. This neo-colonialist scheme of plunder and dependence must be rooted out.

Mr. President,

46. Among the major challenges facing humanity today, within the framework of this global systemic crisis, and where this organization has a fundamental role to play, is the phenomenon of international migration. We cannot allow migrants to be stigmatized and criminalized.

47. President Nicolas Maduro requests the support of the United Nations to hold an International Conference in Venezuela, without exclusions, to reach joint agreements and commitments to address the phenomenon of migratory flows from a comprehensive and humanistic perspective. A true international commitment to guarantee the rights of migrants to citizenship, identification, dignified work, social security, and the respect for their dignity.

Mr. President,

48. Free peoples are building a New World Order. This new multipolar and multilateral world of peace and economic prosperity, free from hegemony, anchored in the United Nations Charter, must be based on the values of true multilateralism, international cooperation, and solidarity. In this regard, we recognize the contribution of the BRICS group, which Venezuela aspires to join, to the current global geopolitics and the democratization of international relations.

49. We also applaud the efforts of countries that contribute to dialogue, understanding, global peace, and common progress, such as the People's Republic of China. Venezuela supports its Global Development Initiative, its Global Security Initiative, and its Global Civilization Initiative. It is through common efforts, under the spirit of complementarity, solidarity, and cooperation, that we can change the course toward a common destiny of prosperity and stability for all of humanity.

50. It is up to us to save the system of international relations from the threats that currently loom over it, it is up to us to preserve the principles of the United Nations Charter, on which international law is based, and it is up to us to make the dreams of peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights for our peoples a reality.

51. Aware of this historic task, Venezuela, together with a group of countries from various regions of the world, undertook the task of building a platform from which all responsible members of the international community can be mobilized to preserve, promote, and strengthen the founding treaty of our organization. Thus, two years ago, the "Group of Friends in Defence of the United Nations Charter" was born, which has now positioned itself as a key actor in various intergovernmental processes taking place in this multilateral forum.

52. As our President Nicolas Maduro said a few weeks ago at the BRICS plus summit: "Definitely, unity is what makes strength, and that united strength promotes a new global relationship paradigm and promotes a new 21st-century global geopolitics." Let us work together so that the United Nations also becomes an organization that responds to the needs of peoples for this century.

53. Much has been said about Venezuela in recent years; much disinformation has been spread through major media corporations and social networks about the reality of what is happening in our country. Many attempts have been made to sow a media matrix, through so-called "fake news," with the aim of deploying humanitarian intervention in our country, in flagrant violation of our sovereignty. However, thanks to our Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace, under the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro, the truth about Venezuela has always prevailed and resonated strongly within the United Nations.

54. Today, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is in complete peace and tranquillity. Dialogue has been a permanent policy of the Bolivarian Revolution and has prevailed as the only option on the table to resolve differences within our nation, without foreign interference or tutelage of any kind, all within the framework of our National Constitution. We have been, are, and will always be a country open to respectful debate among equals.

Mr. President,

55. Those who attempted to subjugate our people through economic terrorism, hunger, disease, foreign invasion, the thwarted assassination of our Head of State and Government, and the imposition of fictitious entities to promote a regime change agenda and facilitate the theft of national assets, have failed miserably. Dozens of countries took an ill-conceived and clumsy stance, which, unfortunately, left them in ridicule in front of history. Today, the vast majority of those countries, with few exceptions, have overcome the uncomfortable episode and have returned to the path of diplomacy and understanding among equals.

56. In Venezuela, we stand tall, fighting alongside our people, with unity among all sectors of the country, and heading towards a new electoral process, in which, despite the campaigns that have already been launched to discredit it or question it, we are confident will result in new popular victories, based on the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people. Once again, in 2024, we will go to the polling stations in a civic and massive manner to reiterate support for the Bolivarian, revolutionary, and socialist project initiated by the Eternal Commander Hugo Chavez Frias.

57. Allow me to conclude by reiterating that Venezuela remains determined to be the master of its destiny and to exercise its sovereignty, determined to continue consolidating its independence and its right to live in peace. Our nation and our people do not yield or will ever yield to pressure, blackmail, or threats, and will continue to be free.

58. Today, we find ourselves with high morale and a high level of awareness and unity to continue advancing in the construction of a homeland of social justice, solidarity, and inclusion, inspired by our Liberators and the permanent will of a people that does not surrender and will never surrender, determined to keep winning in revolution.