Venezuela accuses Trump of colonialism at UN General Assembly

Venezuela's representative to the United Nations has launched a sharp diplomatic assault against the United States, denouncing President Donald Trump's recent claims over Venezuelan resources as a blatant act of modern colonialism. Speaking at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Ambassador Samuel Moncada described Trump's statements as a "monstrous" violation of international law and a "grotesque offense" to civilized norms.

A Stinging Rebuke of US Policy and Rhetoric

Moncada directly challenged Trump's assertions that Venezuela's land and oil "belong" to the United States and must be surrendered. "President Trump intends to turn back the clock of history and impose a colony on Venezuela," the ambassador told the assembly, adding that "there is no legal instrument that can stand up to this monstrous declaration." He framed the administration's approach as a criminal imposition of "chaos and destruction" on the international order.

Context of Military Threats and New Colonialism

The diplomatic condemnation comes amid explicit US military threats against Venezuela, including Trump's warning of a total air and naval blockade enforced by the "world's most powerful navy" if his demands are not met. Moncada argued that while traditional colonialism has faded, it has been replaced by "new, pernicious methods" of control, which he sees exemplified in current US policy. He also expressed solidarity with other regions he described as living under "foreign domination," including Palestine and Puerto Rico.

A Broader Challenge to International Order

The Venezuelan envoy's speech positions the escalating US-Venezuela conflict within a larger debate about sovereignty, post-colonial power dynamics, and the enforcement of international law. By invoking the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the International Day Against Colonialism, Moncada sought to frame Caracas's resistance as a defense of fundamental global principles against a powerful state's overreach.