Venezuela Condemns Decades of Occupation and US Complicity, Demands Justice for Palestine at UN

Mexico City, Mexico, July 31, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela strongly reaffirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination and condemned decades of Israeli occupation, annexation, systematic violence, and US complicity at the International High-Level Conference on the Question of Palestine. 

“We urge the Government of the United States of America to end its complicity, which shields Israel, the occupying power, from accountability for its crimes,” said Alternate Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations (UN) Joaquín Pérez at the conference held at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, the Venezuelan representative demanded an immediate admission of Palestine as a full UN member, an end to US vetoes shielding Israel at the UN Security Council, and the cessation of arms transfers to Israel. 

“At this critical juncture, our Group of Friends reaffirms its strong support for the

just Palestinian cause, as well as its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their ongoing struggle for self-determination and freedom, including a sovereign and viable State of Palestine,” said Pérez.

The Venezuelan diplomat went on to call for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the launch of a major reconstruction plan in coordination with Palestinian authorities. Caracas also urged accountability for war crimes and reaffirmed its rejection of Israel’s illegal settlements, annexation efforts, and activities in occupied Palestinian territory.

The International High-Level Conference on the Question of Palestine brought together diplomats, UN officials, and civil society representatives to reaffirm global commitment to a just and lasting resolution to the Palestinian issue. 

The United States and Israel boycotted the proceedings.

Originally scheduled for June, the three-day conference co-organized by France and Saudi Arabia was rescheduled to the end of July and was aimed at reviving momentum for a peaceful resolution of the longstanding violence and occupation.

Addressing the conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the situation in Palestine was “at a breaking point” and claimed, given Israel’s recent actions, that a two-state solution was “farther than ever before.”

“Let’s be clear: The creeping annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal. It must stop. The wholesale destruction of Gaza is intolerable. It must stop. Unilateral actions that would forever undermine the two-State solution are unacceptable,” said Guterres. “They must stop.”

The UN official likewise called on parties to not “defer peace efforts” and to “act before it is too late.”

Various speakers also stressed the urgent need to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to address the crisis, with several of them calling for a recognition of Palestine, including Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira.

“Virtually all Latin American and Caribbean countries — including Brazil, since 2010 — recognize the State of Palestine, as do most African and Asian countries,” said Vieira.

France and Canada both recently announced their intention to formally recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming UN General Assembly.

The New York conference came on the heels of the Emergency Conference of The Hague Group in Bogotá, which gathered representatives from 30 countries to agree on immediate measures to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

A joint statement penned by 12 country participants established coordinated diplomatic, legal and economic measures to pressure Israel, including a stop to arms transfers and a review of public contracts that might legitimize the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Further states can adhere to the proposal, which will be put to a vote at the UN General Assembly later this year.

The Nicolás Maduro government has repeatedly voiced its support for the Palestinian cause and opposition to ongoing Israeli atrocities. Venezuela endorsed the South Africa-led genocide case against Tel Aviv at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.