The Key Messages of Latin America at the UN
- La Voz Latina
- Oct 3
- 4 min read
Written by: Natalie Arnez 🇧🇴 🇸🇻
At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Latin American leaders brought urgent messages from the Global South.
They challenged power imbalances, demanding structural reforms, and warning of rising international instability. From Venezuela to Brazil, the region’s representatives criticized U.S. foreign policy, condemned ongoing conflicts, and pressed for action on climate, migration, and historical justice.
While tones varied, most leaders emphasized the need for a reformed multilateral system and a stronger voice for the Global South.
Venezuela
Yván Gil Pinto, the Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, attended in place of President Nicolás Maduro, who currently faces narcoterrorism charges and a U.S. bounty of up to $50 million for information leading to his capture. Gil Pinto accused the United States of seeking to “topple” the Venezuelan government through sanctions, regime-change operations, and military threats.
He referenced the 142 sanctions placed on Venezuela’s oil sector, describing them as “criminal aggression” intended to destabilize the country and give external powers access to its natural resources. Gil Pinto also condemned what he called the “illegal and immoral military threat” posed by the United States, citing reports of U.S. strikes on Venezuelan boats just days before the General Assembly.
According to independent Arab news channel Al Jazeera, Venezuelan fishermen “who spoke to the [Agence France-Presse] AFP news agency said that the U.S. strikes on Venezuelan boats have made them fearful to venture too far from shore.”
Gil Pinto said such actions violated Venezuela’s sovereignty and were part of a wider campaign of intimidation against Latin America.
Bolivia
Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora described the world as facing “multidimensional wars”—economic, media, cyber and climate-related—all rooted in a global capitalist system that prioritizes greed and profit over human life. He voiced opposition to what he described as renewed forms of neocolonialism, citing foreign military presence and political interference in the Global South as efforts to control natural resources and maintain an unequal world order.
Arce Catacora expressed support for Venezuela’s sovereignty and denounced international sanctions and military actions targeting the country. He insisted that the use of military force in the region, including strikes on Venezuelan vessels, represented a dangerous escalation and echoed wider patterns of imperial behavior.
In his address, Arce Catacora also called for a UN-led mechanism for global reparations, encompassing land restitution, environmental restoration, and formal apologies for the legacies of slavery and colonialism.
He urged reform of the United Nations itself, particularly the Security Council, arguing it must become a “binding” and democratic institution not dictated by a handful of veto-wielding powers.
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivered one of the most provocative speeches at this year’s General Assembly, challenging U.S. policies on migration, drugs, and military actions. He framed migration as a consequence of systemic inequality, environmental collapse, and extractive foreign policy, not a criminal issue.
He also raised concerns over recent U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean, which reportedly resulted in 17 deaths. While the U.S. claims the vessels were linked to drug trafficking networks, it has not provided public evidence to support that, and the identities and affiliations of those killed have not been independently verified.
Petro disputed the official narrative, suggesting that the victims may have been unarmed civilians, what he called “poor youth” driven by desperation, not organized crime. He warned that framing the deceased as traffickers without due process allows violence against marginalized people to be justified under the banner of counter-narcotics.
He also called for former U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, to face international prosecution, and he used the platform to challenge the legitimacy of U.S. influence in Latin America. Petro pushed back against the U.S. government’s recent decertification of Colombia’s anti-narcotics cooperation, framing it as a unilateral move used to apply political pressure.
U.S. representatives reportedly walked out within minutes of his address. Days later, the U.S. State Department revoked Petro’s visa, citing “reckless and incendiary actions” after he urged U.S. soldiers to disobey orders during a New York protest over Gaza.
Chile
Chilean President Gabriel Boric struck a more measured tone but raised similar concerns about global inequality, conflict, and international law. He condemned the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and reaffirmed Latin America’s longstanding identity as a “zone of peace.”
“We are a war-free region with a rich diplomatic tradition,” said Boric, calling for “genuine dialogue” to resolve international disputes. He also stressed the importance of preserving international law, which he described as the “guarantee that reason will prevail over might.”
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned against the growing trend of equating crime with terrorism, stating, “The comparison of crime and terrorism is worrying.”
He criticized the tendency to conflate crime with terrorism, warning against the growing use of lethal force outside formal conflict zones.
He emphasized that wealthy countries bear a disproportionate responsibility for the climate crisis and argued that support for the Global South, including access to green technology and financing, is a matter of justice, not charity.
His remarks also responded indirectly to recent U.S. trade threats, including a warning from President Trump about tariffs against Brazil over alleged censorship.
The overall points
While their rhetoric varied, Latin American leaders voiced a consistent critique: the current global order is not working in their favor, and urgent reform is needed. Sovereignty, migration, climate justice, and a more equitable international system were among the central themes.
The tension between these calls and the positions of powerful nations like the United States, whether addressed directly or indirectly, underscores a shifting dynamic on the world stage.
As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, Latin America’s push for a rebalanced multilateralism will test both regional solidarity and the responsiveness of global institutions.