Santiago Peña at the UN: 'Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself'

Santiago Peña, president of Paraguay, spoke before the UN General Assembly to reaffirm its unconditional support for Israel, stating that the country "has the legitimate right to defend itself" following the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023 perpetrated by Hamas.

"Paraguay reaffirms here its unambiguous position. Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself. The terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 against Israeli civilians were grotesque acts of barbarism that no cause can justify. We reject any attempt to equate responsibility, in a biased way, between the democratically elected authorities of Israel, and the leaders of the terrorist group Hamas," Peña told the UN.

The Paraguayan president also denounced antisemitism as a "perversion that continues among us" and called for vigilance in the face of hatred and violence.

"Antisemitism, gentlemen, as daily events show, is not an accident of the 20th century, it is alive and strong, it is part of that cycle of irrational violence and hatred of which I spoke at the beginning of my words. I must confess here that I have never understood how so many people have adopted this horrible worldview, given that the Jewish people have given so much, materially, culturally and spiritually to the world, and yet, sadly, that perversion is still among us. The only answer is to be vigilant. No to hatred. Shoah, never again," said Peña.

Support for Taiwan

The Paraguayan president requested that the island be recognized as a UN member state, calling this inclusion "a matter of strict justice" and defended the relationship with Taiwan despite the economic costs, stating that "the value of doing the right thing is priceless."

"The growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait are of deep concern to us. The increasingly aggressive military exercises and the constant air incursions, the war-mongering rhetoric, everything points to a dangerous escalation that could destabilize, not only Asia, but the entire global order. Ladies and gentlemen, it must be said without being lukewarm or faint-hearted, Taiwan deserves a place in this forum," said the Paraguayan president.

The Venezuelan and Nicaraguan regimes

Peña expressed direct criticism of the regimes of Venezuela and Nicaragua, singling them out as examples of governments with authoritarian practices and contrary to democratic principles.

"Paraguay views with enormous concern the restrictions on the exercise of fundamental rights, such as access to free information, and freedom of expression, in some sister countries, which are already palpable demonstrations that the crisis is real and deep. Thus, unfortunately, the situation in Venezuela has become truly alarming. To the systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, are added actions contrary to International Law, and the persecution of political leaders. The electoral process of July 2024 stomped on the will of the Venezuelan people. Seven million Venezuelans have abandoned their homeland, the largest migratory crisis in the history of the Western Hemisphere," he stated.

On Nicaragua, Santiago Peña warned about the persecution of the opposition, including the Catholic Church.

"The situation of Human Rights and fundamental guarantees is too serious. They have expelled entire religious orders, they have stripped hundreds of Nicaraguans of their nationality whose only crime was to dissent. Even the Catholic Church is persecuted, something unthinkable in Latin America."