GUSTAVO PETRO URREGO, President of Colombia, said humanity must take a step towards global peace, lamenting that the ability for any President to communicate depends on money, military force, clout and ability to destroy humankind.  The power of a country in the world is no longer exercised by the type of economic or political system, but wielded to destroy humanity.  Those who speak to sustain life are ignored — especially when they speak out against the genocide in Gaza or ask for debt-for-climate-change spending.  Further, the power to destroy life is privileged within the UN, he continued, adding that “the voice of nations is not heard when we ask humankind to unite to preserve existence.”  Those who wish to sustain life speak here but are not listened to.  Worse still, over 11 million hectares of the Amazon were burned over one month in 2024 due to climate change.  Catastrophic for the whole planet, scientists describe the loss of the Amazon as a point of no return.  “Bells are tolling for you, for us, for humankind and life” he said, recalling Ernest Hemingway, “and for all of life.  The end has begun.”

While Colombia had called for a conference for peace in Palestine one year ago, today 20,000 boys and girls have been killed with bombs and the Presidents of human destruction laugh in the corridors of the UN — aided by mass media and their owners, reordering a world without freedom and democracy.  “The democratic project of humanity is dying” while those who stupidly believe that the Aryan race should dominate the world prepare to do just that through bombs and terror.  This is what is happening in Gaza and Lebanon, he said, warning that “when Gaza dies, humanity will die.”  Social inequality is the reason for this “contemporary Armageddon” he said, citing Oxfam who say in a report that the richest 1 per cent of the world have more wealth than the 95 per cent of the world.  The richest 1 per cent is also responsible for climate change from oil and carbon — sadly, politicians in the most powerful countries simply obey them because they fund their campaigns.

These owners of global media conceal the truth of science like in the film Don’t Look Up, and control what is allowed to be said. Their obsession with the free market will bring about the destruction of our planet, he warned, noting that the free market was not freedom, rather “the maximization of death”.  The richest 1 per cent, or a powerful global oligarchy, allow bombs to be dropped in Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan, and impose economic blockades on countries like Cuba and Venezuela that refuse to yield to their power as a scare tactic.  “This oligarchy is bringing humankind to the brink of destruction” while “politics just nods its head at them”.  “Will the people allow this continue?” he asked, sounding the alarm that there is no more time to waste.  “Governments are incapable of halting the extinction of human life.  Today, we must choose between humankind or greed, between humankind and capital,” he said, calling on the people to “Let us fly the flag of life or our people will fill up mass graves.”

Just as once the workers of the world united behind a red flag, today humanity must unite behind a flag of all colours to defend life. Individuals are weak alone, but strong when they help each other, and this mutual assistance will give a new meaning to a global socialism with humankind as its political subject, defending itself against a global oligarchy that seeks to destroy.  Distinguishing between leaders and countries, he specified that he is not targeting the current leaders of the United States, France, Germany, China and the Russian Federation, and is even inspired by the countries themselves.  The countries, made up of their people and history must combine their knowledge to bring a “global revolution” with the largest army, without weapons nor bank financing, but the power of a united humankind, “warriors for life”.  The time has come for the people, he affirmed.  Instead of speaking to Governments who do not listen, the people must work together to create another democratic force.  If life manages to triumph over extinction, the oligarchy will be defeated, and a global democracy will rise:  “A new story is about to begin.”