YouSaid · the spoken record

Evo Morales Ayma

lines on the record: 286
first: 2007-09-24
most recent: 2019-09-24
sittings or episodes: 13
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Bolivia, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations, ratifies its rejection of the economic and financial blockade imposed against Cuba, which violates all human rights. Finally, I take this opportunity to thank all the member countries for their support in the various initiatives promoted by Bolivia, such as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas and the recognition of 21 June as the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice. To conclude, we ratify our commitment to consolidate a new world order of peace with social justice, in harmony with Mother Earth, with a view to living well while respecting the dignity and identity of the world’s peoples.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That judicial decision did not put an end to the controversy; on the contrary, it explicitly recognizes that the controversy persists and emphasizes that it does not exclude the possibility of both States finding a solution. Therefore, the United Nations should monitor the situation and demand full compliance with the Court’s decisions, so that both peoples continue negotiating in good faith to close open wounds. It is possible to promote a spirit of good neighbourliness and to open a new chapter in our relationship in which mutually acceptable and lasting solutions can be forged. Our countries face diverse and contentious situations that must be approached in a sovereign manner and for which solutions must be found through dialogue and negotiations that benefit the interests of our peoples.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Secondly, in paragraph 50 of the 24 September 2015 ruling in the same case, it stated that “the matters in dispute are matters neither ‘settled by arrangement between the parties, or by arbitral award or by decision of an international court’ nor ‘governed by agreements or treaties in force’”. Thirdly, in paragraph 176 of the 1 October 2018 ruling, it also stated that “[nevertheless, the Court’s finding should not be understood as precluding the Parties from continuing their dialogue and exchanges, in a spirit of good neighbourliness, to address the issues relating to the landlocked situation of Bolivia, the solution to which they have both recognized to be a matter of mutual interest. With willingness on the part of the Parties, meaningful negotiations can be undertaken”.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We built a communitarian and productive socioeconomic model that recognizes basic services as a human right, not as a private business. Today we can say with pride and optimism that Bolivia has a future. There is one outstanding issue in the region, and that is the sea. The sea is indispensable for life, integration and the development of peoples. For that reason, Bolivia will not give up its right to sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. In 2015 and 2018, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled on the following elements in its judgments. First, in paragraph 19 of the 1 October 2018 judgment in Obligation to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v. Chile), the Court stated that “Bolivia had a coastline of over 400 km along the Pacific Ocean”.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are in the process of implementing a universal health- care system that will guarantee that 100 per cent of Bolivians — women and men — have access to free, quality services that are caring and that respect their dignity. We have adopted a law on free care for cancer patients. The data I have just mentioned are part of the achievements of our democratic and cultural revolution, which have brought political, economic and social stability to Bolivia. How did we achieve that in such a short time? How did Bolivia embark upon the path to defeating poverty and underdevelopment? It was thanks to the conscientiousness of the people — social movements and indigenous people, campesinos, workers, professionals and rural and urban men and women. We nationalized our natural resources and strategic businesses. We took control of our destiny.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have the lowest unemployment rate in the region, which fell from 8.1 per cent in 2005 to 4.2 per cent in 2018. Extreme poverty fell from 38.2 per cent to 15.2 per cent over 13 years. Life expectancy has increased by nine years. The minimum wage rose from $60 to $310. The gender gap in land titles owned by women has been reduced — only 138,788 women had received land by 2005, while 1,011,249 women had received land by 2018. Bolivia has the third-highest participation of women in Parliament in the world — more than 50 per cent of its representatives are women. Bolivia declared itself an illiteracy-free country in 2008. The school dropout rate fell from 4.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent between 2005 and 2018. The infant mortality rate has been reduced by 56 per cent.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That is why the United Nations is more relevant and important than ever despite individual efforts, which are insufficient, because only joint action and unity will enable us to overcome those problems. As we have already said, our generation’s responsibility is to pass on to the next generation a fairer and more humane world. That will be achieved only if we work together to build a multipolar world with rules common to all, while defending multilateralism, the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We have taken some very important steps in Bolivia. We are the country with the highest economic growth in South America, averaging 4.9 per cent in the past six years. Between 2005 and 2019, the gross domestic product increased from 9.574 to 40.885 billion dollars.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Transnational companies control food, water, non-renewable resources, weapons, technology and our personal data. The aim is to commercialize everything in order to accumulate capital. The world is being controlled by a global oligarchy; a mere handful of billionaires define the political and economic destiny of humankind. Twenty- six people possess the same wealth as 3.8 billion people. That is unjust. That is immoral. That is inadmissible. The fundamental problem lies in the production model and consumerism, the ownership of natural resources and the inequitable distribution of wealth. Let us put it very clearly — the root of the problem lies in the capitalist system.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“According to Oxfam data, currently 1.3 billion people live in poverty, while 1 per cent of the richest held 82 per cent of the world’s wealth in 2017. Inequality, hunger, poverty, the migration crisis, epidemic diseases and unemployment are not merely local problems, they are global problems. Nevertheless, humankind’s creative ability surprises us every day with new inventions and new technological applications, which have provided great solutions to very complex problems. Technology has meant a qualitative leap for humankind. However, it is necessary for this multilateral body to establish agreements in that domain with the participation of all States. It is essential that we talk about the structural causes of the various crises.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In recent weeks, Bolivia has experienced literal hot spots, which we have been battling with financial, technical and human resources. Our country has spent more than $15 million to date to mitigate fires. We thank the international community for its timely cooperation in our fight against the fire, as well as its commitment to participate in post-fire relief. The arms race, military spending and technology in the service of death and the unscrupulous arms trade have all increased. The financial system continues to be anti-democratic, inequitable and unstable. It promotes tax havens and banking secrecy, which subjugate weak countries and force them to accept conditions that perpetuate their dependence. We note with sadness that the great social asymmetries persist.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Each year is hotter than the previous one, global melting is increasing and ocean levels are rising. Every day we suffer the disappearance of species, land erosion, desertification and deforestation. We have been warned that, if we follow this course of action, by the year 2100 the global temperature will have increased by 3° Celsius, with concomitant massive and devastating changes. According to data from our Organization, the consequences of climate change will condemn millions of people to poverty, hunger, lack of drinking water, the loss of their homes, forced displacement, more refugee crises and new armed conflicts. We have been surprised in recent weeks by the forest fires that have broken out in different parts of the planet — in the Amazon, Oceania and Africa — affecting the flora, fauna and biodiversity.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We gather once again at humankind’s most important multilateral Organization to collectively reflect upon and analyse the global problems that affect the people of the world. We note with concern the deterioration of the multilateral system as a result of the unilateral measures promoted by some States that have decided to act in bad faith and ignore the commitments and global structures set up for healthy coexistence among States, within the framework of international law and the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations. We meet in this forum to discuss and seek solutions to the serious threats to humankind and life on the planet. Our home, Mother Earth, is our only home and is irreplaceable. Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts and other disasters are becoming increasingly frequent.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We also want to take this opportunity to inform the Assembly that, as part of an initiative to fight corruption, our President and Vice President have renounced bank secrecy. We call on all Heads of State to pursue such a measure with a view to governing as transparently as possible. Those achievements have been made possible thanks to the unity of the Bolivian people, the defence of our sovereignty, the recovery of our natural resources and strategic enterprises, the pluralistic economic model and the redistribution of wealth. We reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism. It is imperative that we work together to build a society with equal opportunities for all. We must take care of this planet, our only home. We must make this a world where justice is possible and peace a reality.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As is well known, we have liberated ourselves from the bonds of United States military bases, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Agency for International Development, and from the demands of the International Monetary Fund as well as other types of taxation. Bolivia is now an example to the region and the world. We have one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. In the past decade we have reduced extreme poverty from 37 per cent to 17 per cent. We have increased life expectancy by eight years, lowered infant mortality by 56 per cent and reduced chronic child malnutrition by 50 per cent. Bolivia invests more money than any other country in the world in renewable energies in relation to gross domestic product. We are building a more just society.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We deeply regret the fact that the war in Syria has caused more than half a million deaths in the past eight years, a consequence of policies of regime change, interference in internal affairs and efforts to expropriate natural resources. Bolivia repudiates the violations of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity directly or indirectly perpetrated by different States, including the United States, and we hope that the efforts of the United Nations to reach a political agreement by and for the Syrians will soon bear fruit. We welcome the efforts of Russia, Iran, Turkey and Kazakhstan to prevent any more suffering by the Syrian people. In conclusion, it is my duty to inform the Assembly about the situation in Bolivia.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Venezuelan issues must be solved by the Venezuelans, and the United States must abandon the illegal and unilateral measures that are one of the causes of Venezuela’s economic problems. We also want to take this opportunity to condemn the criminal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the United States Government’s unilateral and illegal decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, which jeopardizes any possibility of reaching a just and lasting peace. We also reiterate our support for a two- State solution, with a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian State based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“From our seat on the Security Council, we have closely followed the progress and difficulties in the implementation of the peace agreement signed between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo. We are hopeful that the new Government of Colombia will promote the processes for the social and economic reintegration of ex-combatants and will protect the lives of human rights defenders and community leaders, thereby once again affirming that Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace. Our brother country the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is suffering shameless aggression at the hands of the United States and its allies. Latin America firmly rejects any attempts to intervene militarily in Venezuela.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Those figures are shameful, and we should all be ashamed, because they represent a model of wealth accumulation and poverty distribution rather than one of wealth distribution. Bolivia condemns in the clearest and strongest terms the illegal, inhuman and criminal economic and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States. The United States has the obligation to make financial reparations for the damage done to the heroic Cuban people and should comply with the relevant General Assembly resolutions by immediately lifting the blockade. It should also restore Guantanamo to Cuban sovereignty and refrain from any interference or intervention in its internal affairs.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In addition, the arms industry feeds off war, and as its weapons are proved to be effective at killing children, the value of their shares increases in the stock market. That criminal logic must end. That threat also comes at the hand of those who are willing to invade countries and change Governments in order to expropriate their peoples’ natural resources. They install military bases with the aim of controlling the entire planet. The third great threat is inequality. Every year our wealth is concentrated in fewer hands. In 2017, 82 per cent of the world’s increase in wealth ended up in the hands of the richest 1 per cent of the population, while half of humankind saw no increase at all. According to data from Credit Suisse, 42 people are now worth the same as 3.7 billion others taken all together.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Climate change is an inseparable consequence of capitalism, overproduction and patterns of consumption. The planet is exhausted and so is life along with it. The second major threat is the arms race, the culture of war and the possibility of a nuclear disaster. Many leaders of countries, especially those that have the most weapons, come to this forum to talk about peace. Military spending is growing, with an increase of 1.1 per cent in 2017 over spending in 2016, and has now reached the extraordinary sum of $1.739 trillion, or 2.2 per cent of the global gross domestic product. The world cannot live at the expense of those who believe that they have the right to produce and use weapons capable of totally destroying life on our planet.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Unfortunately, every year we attend this event to confirm that, despite many praiseworthy efforts, a number of those crises have not only continued but worsened. I want to take this opportunity to talk about the three biggest threats we face. The first is climate change. Every year is warmer than the one before. Every year more severe weather events occur. Every year more people and other living creatures are irreversibly affected by hurricanes, floods, droughts and pollution. While we consider global efforts such as the Paris Agreement important, if we do not tackle the underlying structural causes of climate change, we will not be able to stop it, all the more so when the biggest polluter in the history of humankind, the United States, turns its back on science, multilateralism and thereby on humankind.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Such an opportunity deserves the attention of the States Members of the United Nations, since the decision of the Organization’s main legal body to assume jurisdiction over, hear and adjudicate a dispute, and, in this case, to suggest parameters for a possible solution, will set a precedent for fairer societies that are willing to share the responsibility for resolving their differences. That would be a contrast to the past, when domination by winning wars was all that counted. That is the significance of our case in the context of the theme of the seventy-third session of the General Assembly. We have frequently warned the Assembly about the many crises facing humankind and life as a whole on our planet.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Bolivia is certain that whatever the International Court of Justice decides, it will mark a new era in the relationship between Bolivia and Chile so that we can face the future with righteousness and a determination to explore mutually acceptable and lasting solutions. Our peoples and their leaders must unite their desire for peace and their political will in a single voice if they are to identify feasible, functional solutions that make them feel that they have won rather than lost. Practical solutions, forged by creative and effective diplomacy, have been found to even the oldest and most complex controversies in the world. The Governments and the peoples of Bolivia and Chile must wait patiently for a legal decision that, beyond its formal aspects, can open the door to a new era of peace, justice and brotherhood.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It goes back to the very origins of our territorial dispute at the end of the nineteenth century, when the interests of foreign corporations seeking to exploit the natural resources of the Atacama area, such as guano, potassium nitrate, silver and copper, launched a hostile, asymmetric and expansionist campaign in the region. The landlocked status imposed on Bolivia could not be remedied through treaties that proved insufficient or through attempted agreements and failed commitments. The Bolivian people’s ongoing claim is more than a century old, both at the regional level and in multilateral organizations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The agreement should also critically examine the inadequacy of the agreements and attempts to overcome Bolivia’s landlocked status, while validating and illustrating the reciprocal advantages of timely and effective agreements in the context of the principles of regional and global integration and reconciling two peoples engaged in an absurd conflict, often for reasons that are alien to their values of brotherly coexistence. The conflict between Bolivia and Chile over access to the Pacific Ocean is not the result of a recent or passing political or electoral issue.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We hope that the legal proceedings that have been brought before the International Court of Justice will be recognized and will help to bring the parties closer to the start of productive negotiations. We also hope that to the extent possible, with the support of the international community, it will help us to reach a genuine agreement that honestly outlines the causes and effects of the conflict that has driven us apart for more than a century.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Its worst consequence is that Bolivia has been a landlocked country, with its people and the State deprived of access to the Pacific Ocean, a state of affairs that has severely affected our human and economic development and continues to do so. Bolivia’s maritime suit is related to its understanding of diplomacy as working for the people, their life and their right to access to the sea and its vast resources, the largest setting for life on the planet and the shared heritage of humankind and its peoples. Human beings are supported by the sea. Life on Earth is not possible without water, and it is not possible to think about the lives of people without access to the sea. Not only is it a door to trade, markets and modern transactions, it is also a window on other peoples and on life itself.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The case deals with Chile’s obligation to negotiate with Bolivia in an effective and timely manner on sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. It tests the shared responsibility of two States to agree on just solutions within the framework of international law. The Court asserted its jurisdiction to hear and resolve that international disagreement in 2015, whose hemispheric interest was recognized by the Organization of American States because it involves two neighbours and undermines efforts to achieve the regional integration of peoples. Bolivia’s goal is the good-faith achievement, together with Chile, of a durable, sustainable and mutually satisfactory solution to a 100-year conflict that has put two neighbouring countries at odds.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We sought to resolve our disagreements by peaceful means and to foster friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principles of equal rights and the self-determination of peoples. The theme of the general debate this year — “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies” — allows me to cite a practical provision of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which is that Member States “shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered”. I am referring here to the proceedings that Bolivia has brought before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, whose decision will be announced next week.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the President of the General Assembly on her recent election to her important post. The men, women and children of every continent in the world throughout our shared home, planet Earth, hope that our deliberations will bring concrete improvements to their lives. The world sees its leaders meet once a year and continues to hope that we will collaborate in complying fully with our mandate to build a more just society for all. When the United Nations was created, after the Second World War, it established clear purposes that now serve as a measure of our triumphs, failures, threats and opportunities. We sought to maintain international peace, security and justice, prevent and eliminate threats and suppress acts of aggression.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“If we truly want to resolve those issues and defend the interests of our peoples, it is essential to recognize basic services as human rights, respect the rights of Mother Earth and take up the fight against capitalism, colonialism and imperialism. Only if we win that fight will there be an authentic global order, based on solidarity, equality and social justice and respect for the right of peoples to peace and development so that they can live comfortably.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We trust in the Court’s decision and in a process of dialogue and negotiation that, unlike the invasions that we have suffered in the past, will help us to overcome our differences and promote our complementarity, free and sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean and the proper use of our shared natural resources. We are grateful for the solidarity shown by many States, peoples and leaders who have expressed their support for our maritime cause. I take this opportunity to ask all participants in the Assembly to accompany us in our peaceful quest for justice. It is anunwavering challenge for the brotherhood of our people over the coming generations. With every passing year, our challenges become greater. War continues to destroy cities and global warming is a growing threat.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We are committed to multilateralism, the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the peaceful and negotiated resolution of conflicts. In 2003, Bolivia came before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, seeking a peaceful solution to its unresolved 100-year-old dispute with the Republic of Chile that would allow us to exercise our right to sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. We seek a solution that will satisfy both the historical and legislative background and the future understanding between neighbourly and fraternal peoples through an opportune and effective negotiation in good faith.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Bolivia is a land that is free of illiteracy, free of North American military bases, free of the Drug 16/24 17-29281 Enforcement Administration and free of the United States Agency for International Development. It is a land free of impositions by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Over the past decade, we have reduced extreme poverty from 38.2 per cent to 16.8 per cent, and we will eradicate it by 2025. We have reduced inequality. In 2005, the wealthiest 10 per cent held 128 times more wealth than the poorest 10 per cent; now, the wealthiest 10 per cent hold 46 times more wealth than the poorest 10 per cent. Bolivia ranks second in the world among the countries with the most women in Parliament.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Bolivia condemns the production, development and use of all nuclear and chemical weapons, which pose a serious threat to peace, security and human life itself. We demand that all military interventions be avoided in resolving the situation in the Korean peninsula, and that negotiations be resumed as soon as possible to resolve that conflict peacefully. It is clear that the main threat to mother Earth, multilateralism, peace and freedom is the Government of the United States of America. It is my duty to describe the economic and social situation of my country. Bolivia has consolidated an economic model that has successfully coped with the global crisis of the capitalist system. Bolivia leads economic growth in our region. We have recovered our homeland.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We welcome and support the ongoing democratic dialogue. For Bolivia, the Palestinian cause is indisputable. We condemn the criminal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. We condemn the construction of new settlements, and we condemn military aggression against the Palestinian people. We demand the achievement of a two-State solution and the establishment of a Palestinian State withing the pre- 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. We condemn the unilateral and illegal military actions of the United States in deploying its forces in the Syrian Arab Republic. We welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Kazakhstan in seeking a ceasefire and in contributing to the peace negotiations process. We believe that if it were not for interventionism, we would not be suffering that war.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We welcome the peace process in Colombia, including the consolidation of the ceasefire, disarmament and the integration of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia into political life. Revolutions take place through the ballot box and social consensus, not through bullets. Latin America and the Caribbean are coming together as a region of peace. Bolivia unequivocally condemns the unilateral sanctions and the threats of invasion levelled by the Government of the United States against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Our region is nobody’s back yard. We also reject the conduct of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, who is the spokesperson for anti-Latin American interests. We express our support for and solidarity with President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The United States of America must unilaterally and unconditionally put an end to the unjust embargo that has caused so much suffering to the Cuban people for nearly 60 years. It is an unjust and failed policy, and must be abandoned. The recent actions announced by President Trump spell a resurgence in the financial and trade embargo against Cuba and reverse the progress made between the two nations. The United States must not only lift that criminal embargo, but also make economic reparations for the damage caused and return Guantánamo to Cuban sovereignty. I pay deepest tribute to the memories of Commander Fidel and Commander Che Guevara, who from this very rostrum warned us not to trust imperialism.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“At that conference, we drafted alternative proposals with a humanist vision to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants. In August, Pope Francis dedicated a pastoral document to those four verbs. We too call on the Governments of the world to come together to tackle criminal networks that traffic in human beings by declaring the trade and traffick in human beings as a crime against humanity and by considering the formation of a world ombudsman as an authority of universal jurisdiction responsible for ensuring human rights. Once again, I call for a global pact to act as the bridge to move towards the universal citizenship that we desire, because there are no categories and there are no differences between nationals and foreigners. We are all human beings and children of Mother Earth.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Migrants cannot be held responsible for the economic and financial crises or 17-29281 15/24 for insecurity. We must not allow them to be viewed as criminals either. No migrant is illegal. Some Governments, far from helping to resolve the structural causes of this phenomenon, such as war, the consequences of climate change or the economic asymmetries among the States, proclaim greater restrictions in their migration policies, massive expulsions and the building of walls. Walls counter the history of humankind. Walls cripple science and knowledge. Walls confine our souls, fuel hatred of difference and stifle freedom. In Tiquipaya, Bolivia, representatives of social movements from 45 countries around the world came together at the World Peoples’ Conference in June for a world without walls towards universal citizenship.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Due to war, terrorism and other conflicts, we are experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis since the founding of the United Nations. More than 128 million people in 33 countries require humanitarian assistance. More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced. More than 22 million are refugees, which is the highest number ever recorded in the human history. More than 10 million people are stateless. This calls for our attention. Bolivia condemns the construction of walls and laws that seek to criminalize migration. Accordingly, we propose the creation of a universal citizenship. The social and immigration crisis has its origin in the dominant world order, with its limitless greed for profit and appropriation of the commons, produces violence, promotes inequalities and destroys Mother Earth.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Not only is the world growing warmer every year, but each succeeding year is growing more unfair and more unequal. The gap between those who have the most — everything — and those who have almost nothing is widening every day. According to the most recent report from Oxfam, eight people have the same amount of wealth as 3.6 billion people, that is, half of the population of the planet. Inequality is immoral. If 800 million people suffer from hunger, it is not because there is a lack of food. If millions of children die from infection, it is not because there is a lack of medicine. If 1.1 billion people do not have electricity, it is not because of a lack of energy in the world. If there is illiteracy, it is not because there are no books. If there are poor people in the world, it is not because there are no resources.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The use of water must lead the way to opportunities that promote collaboration, interaction and harmony among peoples, not to cause conflicts over its origin, ownership or use. It is in this spirit of safeguarding human rights and sovereign rights related to our natural resources and in pursuit of good-neighbourly agreements that Bolivia hopes to resolve its Silala water dispute, which has been brought to the International Court of Justice. Water should not be the cause of internal or international conflicts. It must bring together and unite all States, nations, communities, peoples, social movements and individuals. For Bolivia, which is the hydrographic heart of South America, this concept is very important. Where water flows, peace must flow.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Our rivers, our seas, our forests and science have given us irrefutable evidence and call upon us to act. Water is the blood of Mother Earth that gives life to rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which in turn are a source of life and generate balance. They are universal commons that cover three-quarters of our home. They bathe everything on all continents and islands of the Earth. They do this naturally, with no regard for political borders or nationalities. They should be respected, cared for, shared and preserved for future generations. Bolivia has promoted the recognition that water is a human right. It is essential for the survival of humankind. Accordingly, our Constitution also prohibits it from being the used for profit or commercialism.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is imperative that all our countries join the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to work together to address the enormous challenges involved in saving the planet. It is unjustifiable and inadmissible that the United States has decided to turn its back on the Paris Agreement. As one of the world’s main polluters, its Government, by refusing to do its part in the global effort, has become a threat to Mother Earth. What is necessary is unequivocal political will. We cannot expect market forces to finally convince the leaders of the capitalist world to take action. We extend our embrace of solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean who are suffering the consequences of the passage of hurricanes. Together, as a united family, we will share with them what we have, even if it is not enough.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Many of these invasions have fuelled the emergence of terrorist groups and unleashed violent confrontations and attacks on civilian populations, causing even more harm to innocent victims. Bolivia condemns terrorism and calls for fighting it and for resolving the structural causes of its emergence. To this terrible situation is added the climatic crisis. We note that this year has again been the hottest in the history of the planet. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, pollution of the air and oceans and the consequent extinction of species are results of the capitalist model, consumption levels and excessive industrialization. In this situation, the countries of the South, which pollute the least, are the ones that suffer the most.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“As we have affirmed many times, due to the abusive practices of imperialism, the market of savage consumption that supports capitalism and endless colonialist adventures, the world is enduring a multiplicity of crises that, instead of being resolved, are growing worse. War and violent conflict remain the scourge of millions of people. External aggressions in Iraq have led to more than a million deaths to date. In Syria, almost half a million people have lost their lives. In Libya, tens of thousands have been killed. In Yemen, the humanitarian crisis is of great proportions. History has shown that, in order to appropriate natural resources and control the world geopolitically, military bases are deployed, invasions are organized, and Governments are brought down to create chaos and take advantage of the situation.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“On behalf of the people of Bolivia, I wish to express our full solidarity with the people of Mexico. Alarmed by this afternoon’s earthquake, we extend our support and brotherhood to Mexico as it addresses the resulting problems. Once again, as leaders of the world we have gathered here in the historic Hall of the General Assembly. We meet yet again to voice our positions on the major challenges facing our family — the human family. The United Nations, as set forth in its Charter, was established to save succeeding generations from war, promote social progress and improve the standard of living of all peoples. Unfortunately, many of those promises have come to nothing, and after more than 70 years we see that in many instances, instead of making progress towards those objectives, we have regressed.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The new world order with social justice must be built on the foundation of fraternity among nations and harmony with Mother Earth for the well- being of all of us.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I would also like to highlight the fact that the United Nations created an institution of such importance, the International Court of Justice, so that international conflicts and controversies could be resolved peacefully. We trust that the Court will serve justice. Our greatest wish is to see the message of Pope Francis become reality — to establish channels of dialogue and tear down the walls that divide us. We want to launch a dialogue that satisfies the mutual interests of our countries. In Bolivia, we are building a country that will be an exemplar of equality, liberty with dignity, and sovereignty for the world. For these reasons, we insist and will continue to insist that all basic services must be recognized as human rights, and that, further, we recognize and respect the rights of Mother Earth.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)