The Chancellor of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Yván Gil, urged during his speech this Tuesday at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for the nations to take a stand and respect the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN): «The world is undergoing significant transformations, a world where the rules, norms, and laws we know and that we established after World War II, the creation of the United Nations, are being challenged.»
The diplomat specified that it is necessary to reach consensus «to reach agreements and express them in declarations and regional pronouncements.»
«Consensus is not simply expressing what we are uncomfortable with in a declaration and only seeking what is comfortable for us. That is not an exercise in consensus. «The exercise of consensus means having the courage, the bravery, the strength as a region to say the important things,» he emphasized.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs urged the Chancellors present to put aside ideological differences “in order to provide solutions to the 33 peoples who suffer, who endure, who live, and who demand from this organization a much firmer, much braver, and much more cohesive position on sensitive and important issues.»
He also mentioned that «CELAC must evolve, strengthen itself, and create an institutional framework, whether through a general secretariat or a general coordination, so that we can provide continuity to the decisions made.»
He warned that “there is a risk of a global recession that affects us all,» and therefore called for unity to prevent a trade war. Regarding unilateral coercive measures, the Venezuelan Chancellor noted that they represent a threat that undermines the world order; and assured that the sanctions do not only affect the nation but also the global energy market.
He also addressed the persecution of Venezuelan migrants by the United States government, which was the main driving force behind the departure of Venezuelans to generate public opinion:
«Today, this same government of the United States is beginning a persecution against our migrants, (those who) it attracted itself, which it promoted itself to generate a public opinion, and it is beginning to persecute them, humiliate them, stigmatize them, and create a label on them.»
Likewise, he condemned the illegality of the Salvadoran government in detaining migrants «without trial, without evidence, without any evaluation”. «I believe this merits a defense by this organization or, at least, a call to attention regarding the application of this doctrine that is now trying to be imposed on everyone.»
Finally, Gil stated that «beyond the declaration, we must leave a testimony in the presidency of this organization of that we have addressed these issues that concern us, that we believe it is important to address them quickly, and that we reiterate that the only way to confront them and emerge victorious is to do so in a unified manner.»
