At the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump has learned what the world thinks of him. First, the Assembly laughed when he celebrated his administration’s achievements. Later, Bolivian President Evo Morales blasted the Trump administration’s policies.
“The United States does not care for democracy,” Morales said, as President Trump sat a couple of seats down. “The United States does not care for human rights or justice.”
And he didn’t stop there. Morales criticized the Trump Administration’s decision to pull away from the United Nations Human Rights Council and its threats toward democratically elected governments in Latin America. The Bolivian president spoke out against the United States for promoting the use of torture in the past and for separating children from their parents at the US-Mexico border. As part of his speech at the General Assembly’s Security Council meeting, Morales additionally denounced the Trump Administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and for opting out of the Paris Accord on climate change.
The Bolivian president – its first Indigenous leader – highlighted the steps the country has taken against US military bases and control. “In Bolivia, we have gotten rid of US military bases and aid,” Morales said. “Now, Bolivia is an example for the region and for the world, we have one of the fastest-growing economies in the region.”
In the video, Trump, who’s not a Spanish speaker, does not wear translation aid headphones as he looks directly at Morales. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens closely to Morales’ comments through the headphones.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro also made a surprise visit to the United Nations General Assembly, which he announced on his Twitter account. In a speech, he claimed his country is at one of its best economic states and denied the humanitarian crisis seen worldwide. Maduro also spoke out against the Trump administration’s policy of family separation, although the Venezuelan president opened the doors for a meeting with President Trump.