Venezuela’s top diplomat thanked multilateral organizations for support in the face of US military threats. (Reuters)
Caracas, September 29, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil condemned Friday Washington’s military threats and reasserted Caracas’ commitment to peace and multilateralism before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In his address, Gil recalled the “countless attacks” that the Caribbean nation has faced, including an assassination attempt against President Nicolás Maduro, a mercenary incursion and hundreds of unilateral coercive measures targeting the oil industry and other economic sectors.
“To all this we now add an absolutely illegal and immoral military threat that violates the UN Charter and Venezuela’s rights as a sovereign state,” he said. “Venezuela fights for a world of justice and equality, without colonial empires.”
Venezuela’s top diplomat underscored the country’s commitment to uphold peace in the region as well as its right to defend its sovereignty in the face of external aggression.
“Venezuela is part of the new multipolar world that has been born,” Gil affirmed. “Our government ratifies its commitment to international law and a world where Global South countries have a right to a peaceful future.”
The foreign minister additionally reaffirmed some of Venezuela’s main foreign policy stances, including support for the Palestinian people and condemnation of the ongoing genocide by Israel.
Gil also thanked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his support following a bilateral meeting on Saturday. According to the Venezuelan official, Guterres described Washington’s threats and naval deployment as “unjustified and unacceptable.”
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has ordered a large-scale deployment to the Southern Caribbean Sea on a purported anti-narcotics mission. The build-up includes at least eight warships, aircraft and an estimated 4,500 troops.
US troops struck at least three small vessels in September that officials claimed had departed from Venezuela and carried US-bound drugs, killing 17 people in total. US officials have not presented evidence to back up the accusations, while the strikes have sparked domestic criticism and questions over their legality.
The Venezuelan government has denounced military threats while increasing border troop deployments and undertaking defensive military exercises. Maduro announced the possibility of declaring a state of exception while also reaching out to the Trump administration and offering to resume dialogue via Special Envoy Richard Grenell.
In his Friday UNGA address, Gil criticized the Trump administration’s “perverse lies” that accuse Maduro and other high-ranking officials of “narcoterrorism,” as a justification for a military build-up aimed at triggering regime change and seizing Venezuela’s vast natural resources.
Drug trafficking reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) have contradicted the White House’s claims, finding that Venezuela is not a drug-producing country and plays a minor role in global narcotics flows.
Despite reiterated accusations and a US $50 million bounty against Maduro, US officials have not provided court-tested evidence tying Venezuelan leaders to drug trafficking activities. For his part, Trump has stated that the administration is not presently considering regime change. However, according to NBC, the White House is weighing attacks against unspecified “drug targets” inside Venezuelan territory.
In his speech, Foreign Minister Gil went on to express gratitude for the support Venezuela has received from multilateral organizations, including BRICS, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
The US’ military escalation on Venezuela’s maritime border has likewise drawn condemnation from Caracas’ main geopolitical allies, including Russia and China. On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow’s “grave concern” over the naval build-up and reiterated backing for the Maduro government.
The Venezuelan official’s trip to New York additionally featured several bilateral meetings with counterparts from countries including Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Iran.
Gil likewise attended a meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. Representatives from the 16 member states voiced their condemnation of US military threats, as well as support for Palestinian liberation and a commitment to multilateralism. Venezuela is a founding member of the group, created in 2021, which aims to uphold diplomacy and the principles established in the United Nations’ foundational document.
Edited by José Luis Granados Ceja in México City, México.
