He has forgiven the Americans, who in the eighties tried to assassinate him with cyanide, as well as the Vatican, who excommunicated him in the era of Pope John Paul II, with the blessing of the then Cardinal Ratzinger. He is certain that it was God himself who has called him to serve at the Unite Nations, and he has no doubts about his own mission: “To carry out my priestly mission as God’s missionary at the service of the poor and disinherited; to build peace and justice in the world.” 

“The most important truth upon which our very survival depends is that we are all brothers and sisters,” Miguel D’Escoto told Corriere della Sera. The Catholic priest and former Foreign Affairs Minister of the Nicaraguan Sandinista Government of Daniel Ortega was elected last month as the President of the 63^rd General Assembly of the UN. It was that very same General Assembly that blocked the entrance of Iran in the Security Council as a non-permanent member.  

Was the candidacy of Iran therefore an error?

“Every member of the UN has the right to aspire to that position: it is all part of the democratic dynamics. The members who do not fulfil the Security Council Resolutions should therefore not take part? Well, then I would have to say that no country has violated more UN Resolutions than the USA, in which its superiority complex and hypocrisy in using different yardsticks is limitless.” 

What are you referring to in particular?

“The worst unpunished crime in our world today is the Iraq War, absent of any kind of legitimate justification and in violation of the UN Charter.” 

This embrace between d'Escoto and Ahmadinejad on September 23rd at the UN upset Mrs. Shalev. Photo AFP/Getty Images

One month ago the Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev criticised you for having embraced Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after his speech before the General Assembly. 

“Ms Shaley is the only Ambassador that I have yet to meet and I hope to soon bridge that gap soon. I also hope that Israel starts to respect the Security Council Resolutions regarding the Occupied Territories, rather than hide behind continuous USA vetoes.” 

How do you judge the Latin American rebirth and the Russian attempt to replace the USA in the region for influence?

The Russians have never cultivated expansionist plans in Latin America, which has rather suffered from the consequences of American Imperialism. But that phase is over because the masses led by the leaders of the ALBA group (Alternativa bolivariana para los pueblos de nuestra América) have once again conquered the right for the people to decide their own destiny. The sueño de Bolívar (Bolivar’s Dream, translator’s note) of unification of the continent is about to see the light of day. I never would have imagined living long enough to see that day. It is the start of a new era, thank God, the best in our history.” 
 

What do you think of the proposal by John McCain to create a “League of Nations” of friendly nations that will bypass the UN?

“It is destined to fail because imperialist behaviour is incompatible with the UN Charter. We are the United Nations, not the Servant Nations.” 

Are you rooting for Obama?

“I root for the president that loves America enough to understand that it has never been as unpopular in the world as it is right now and want it to commit to overcoming the reputation it has as a reckless and warlike State. No one could damage its image anymore than what its leaders have been able to do on their own.” 

Have you made peace with the Vatican?

“I am not the type who holds a grudge and at any rate, I have no time to argue with the Holy See. I have good relations with Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio and permanent observer at the UN. I love my church and every day I thank God for having guided me to priesthood. I have absolved the hired assassins of the CIA, because forgiveness is essential for life. The alternative is death.” 

What kind of reform of the Security Council would you like to see?

“We need a more balanced redistribution of power that includes the various geographic zones. The veto power has gone to the USA’s head and it would be important that no one feels that they are above human and divine laws.” 

How do you judge the role of Italy within the UN?

“It is very important and I hope that it will continue to be so. No one can sit upon the victory throne because the world is in indescribable chaos in which it has been cast thanks to our mad selfishness. The only way out is brotherhood and love: this is the message that I want to bring from the pulpit of the church to the UN.”

Source: D'Escoto: D'Escoto: «All'Onu chiamato da Dio - Gli Usa peggio dell'Iran» 

Original article published on 23 October, 2008

About the author

Mary Rizzo is editor of the blog Palestine Think Tank and member of Tlaxcala, the network of translators for linguistic diversity. This translation may be reprinted as long as the content remains unaltered, and the source, author and translator are cited.

URL of this article on Tlaxcala: http://www.tlaxcala.es/pp.asp?reference=6222&lg=en