Petro's Historic UN Speech: Defending Sovereignty and a New World Order

On September 24, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, delivered a speech at the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations, marking a turning point in the history of Colombian presidents' addresses at this global forum. This speech takes place in the context of a harsh geopolitical dispute between major power blocs: the struggle for a new world order where the sovereignty of weaker nations—the majority of the Global South—is perpetually exposed to the threat of invasion and subjugation to the geostrategic interests of imperialism. In the face of the threat of invasion, destruction, and subjugation aimed at plundering natural resources, it is imperative to fully recover national sovereignty. The government of Nicolás Maduro is the legitimate heir to this feat, which has resisted blockades, sanctions, and cognitive warfare with unity and sacrifice. However, little progress has been made in building an anti-imperialist front of peoples and nations, which is more urgent than ever today in the face of the crimes against humanity committed by Donald Trump in ordering the bombing of fishing boats in the Caribbean. In his speech, described as historic, President Petro took the defense of national dignity to the highest level. He unequivocally denounced the genocide in Gaza with the complicity of the United States and NATO; addressed the climate crisis, the sovereignty of nations, and the failed 'war on drugs' imposed by the U.S. At the regional level, the formation of an anti-imperialist bloc is the priority for the free nations of Latin America. Our sovereignty is that of our peoples, not of empires. 'We cannot continue to be anyone's backyard.' 'In the face of the threat of invasion, destruction, and subjugation with the aim of plundering natural riches, it is imperative to fully recover national sovereignty. This involves expelling foreign troops and recovering military bases. We are free peoples.'