“Without Peace with the Planet, There will be No Peace Among Nations”, Gustavo Petro

Colombian President Gustavo Petro gave this morning from New York his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly. His speech was based on 2 axes: the fight against climate change and the fight against drugs. According to the Colombian president, both struggles have failed and have been the cause of millions of deaths in the United States and Latin America. “I demand from here, from my wounded Latin America, to end the irrational war on drugs. Reducing drug consumption does not need wars, weapons, it needs all of us to build a better society. A more supportive, more affectionate society, where the intensity of life saves us from addictions and the new slaveries”, said the economist.

Petro also criticized the invasion in Ukraine, but also the wars in Libya, Syria and Iraq in search of oil. “They invaded in the name of oil and gas. They discovered, in the 21st century, the worst of their addictions, the addiction to money and oil. Wars have served as an excuse for not acting against the climate crisis," said the president.

Likewise, the Colombian president criticized the current economic model as being responsible for the current climate crisis: “The climate disaster will kill hundreds of millions of people and, listen carefully, it is not produced by the planet, it is produced by capital. The cause of climate disaster is capital. The logic of relating to each other to consume more and more, to produce more and more and so that a few earn more and more”.

Also read: Opinion: Is it time for Pedro Castillo to resign as president of Peru?

Finally, Petro raised the alternative to take care of the Amazon forest: “I call on you to save the Amazon forest in its entirety with the resources that can be allocated to life worldwide. If you do not have the capacity to finance the fund for the Revitalization of the jungles, if it weighs more to allocate the money to weapons than to life, then reduce the external debt, to free up our own budget space and with it carry out the task of saving humanity and life on the planet. We can make it ours if you northerners don't want to. Only exchange debt for life, only exchange debt for nature.”