Venezuelan minister slams ‘immoral US military threat’

YVAN GIL PINTO, Minister of the People's Power for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, told the UN General Assembly (UNGA) his country will not be intimidated by foreign threats as he reaffirmed Venezuela’s “Bolivarian vocation of peace” and the right to defend its sovereignty.

Addressing the 80th UNGA in New York on September 26, he said Venezuela’s history had been one of struggle against colonial domination and imperialist aggression. He invoked the legacy of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar and recalled incidences of colonial oppression, coups backed by foreign entities and other hardships.

He accused the US of waging a “criminal aggression” against Venezuela to take its natural wealth and force a regime change.

“The aggressions against Venezuela in recent years are countless: destabilisation attempts, conspiracies including an attempted assassination with drones, economic warfare – most cruelly expressed in the 1,042 sanctions imposed against our oil industry and productive sectors – as well as mercenary incursions.

“To all this is now added an absolutely illegal and utterly immoral military threat that violates the UN Charter, Venezuela’s rights as a sovereign state and even US law itself.”

He also thanked the UNGA for the solidarity of the governments and people who supported Venezuelan democracy and its right to peace and development, and warned against false pretexts for war.

“As Venezuela cannot be accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction or nuclear weapons, they now invent vulgar and perverse lies that no one – neither in the US nor the world – believes, in order to justify a monstrous, extravagant and immoral multi-billion-dollar military threat.

“That is why we once again thank global public opinion – including within the US – and the governments and peoples of the world for denouncing this attempt to bring war to the Caribbean and South America to enable theft of Venezuela’s vast oil and gas wealth through a regime change.”

TT Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is not one of those supporters. During her address at the UNGA earlier that afternoon, she once again threw her support behind US President Donald Trump's war against drug cartels and criminal gangs.

So far, the US military carried out three strikes targeting vessels Trump said were “trafficking illicit narcotics,” killing at least 17 people.

Persad-Bissessar said, “President Trump’s comments on the deleterious effects on countries of relentless narco- and human trafficking, organised crime and illegal immigration are correct. Therefore we will fight fire with fire, within the law."

Among other issues, she also addressed the state of Haiti, the climate agenda and appealed for support for TT as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

In a WhatsApp response, Opposition Senator Dr Amery Browne said the PM’s address was a poor reflection on the country.

“The speech in terms of its content did grave disservice to the prestige and profile of our diplomatic standing in the region, the hemisphere and globally. On the world stage, the PM betrayed a fundamental misunderstanding of basic principles and concepts such as the Zone of Peace, and she let down the country and all right-thinking citizens of the planet by ignoring the plight of the Palestinians who today are suffering a genocide in Gaza as declared by the UN.”

Browne pointed out that, even at that high forum, she separated herself from Caricom and the majority of the group of Latin America and Caribbean countries by adopting a range of “belligerent” talking points that did not originate in TT.

“In such regard, the PM even went so far as to mis-label and misdiagnose the climate crisis and the global climate response, in a manner that would be shocking to all small island developing states and deeply disappointing to our Caricom neighbours who have been devastated by natural disasters occasioned by climate change.”

He added that, compared to other Caricom leaders, Persad-Bissessar seemed unprepared and ill-advised, and her address squandered the “essential opportunity” to convey the sense that TT is sovereign nation with a unique voice and real values to offer to the world.

In addition to the UNGA on September 26, Persad Bissessar met the Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres at the UN Headquarters on September 27.

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers said the PM was also expected to meet with the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, the Emir of Kuwait and “high-level representatives” from the US Secretary of State Department.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles who is also attending the UNGA, participated in high-level engagements with UN agencies and bodies, taking place alongside the assembly.

In a news release on September 23, Beckles announced that she had departed TT to attend the UNGA.

The release said she will participate in official meetings and events hosted in the margins of the assembly, where she has been invited to contribute to discussions on matters of international concern.

Her schedule, it said, will include speaking engagements and meeting with members of the diaspora.

“This engagement underscores the commitment of the Opposition Leader to ensuring that TT continues to have a voice in shaping conversations and decisions of international importance,” the release said.