Paraguayan President Santiago Peña used his speech at the 81st UN General Assembly to demand immediate structural reform of the Security Council and reaffirm diplomatic alignment with Taiwan. Criticizing the multilateral architecture conceived 80 years ago as obsolete, Peña argued that the body should not be merely a "pretty picture" of the world of 1945, but an effective instrument for preventing conflicts and protecting vulnerable populations.
In the geopolitical sphere, the Paraguayan leader explicitly defended the full inclusion of Taiwan in the specialized agencies of the United Nations. "Paraguay is not neutral. Paraguay stands unequivocally with Taiwan," he stated, citing more than 70 years of relations based on shared democratic values. Peña warned of the risks of conflict in the Indo-Pacific, comparing microchips to the oil of the 20th century, and cautioned that China's actions in the region pose dangers that transcend the Taiwan Strait, affecting the global economy.
Peña also addressed the Venezuelan crisis, justifying his recent visit to Caracas and meeting with President Delcy Rodríguez. He denied going there to validate Nicolás Maduro's regime, whose incarceration was mentioned by local sources as part of recent political changes, although without detailing the specific power transition. The president criticized the historical inertia of South American leaders, stating that "for 25 years they have launched lyrical words without doing anything for the Venezuelan people." According to Peña, Paraguay now seeks to facilitate a democratic and pluralistic transition, coordinating its approach with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Before his address at the UN, Peña participated in the "Shield of the Americas" meeting, a hemispheric security initiative led by President Donald Trump. At the gathering, Peña praised the strengthening of cooperation between Washington and Western countries, classifying the alliance as a crucial opportunity to combat cross-border threats such as drug trafficking and consolidate democracy in the region. He highlighted that Peru, Chile, and Colombia recently joined the initiative, reinforcing the joint commitment to regional stability.
The intervention also included specific requests regarding strategic maritime routes. Peña demanded an immediate cessation of attacks and the opening of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, warning that blocking these waterways severely harms the food and energy security of the most unprotected populations. He also called for a return to international negotiations to resolve these tensions.
Finally, the president highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to transform Paraguayan agriculture, suggesting that the technology could allow the country to move from feeding 100 million to up to 1 billion people. However, he warned of the ethical dangers of AI, insisting that technology must serve human dignity and not replace popular will or democratic principles. Peña concluded with an optimistic call to multilateralism, stating that peace is a real possibility and that Paraguay has much to contribute to this future.