Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega giving a speech at the G77+China summit held in Havana, Cuba on Friday, September 15, 2023 (Cuban presidency)

Nicaragua abolished all forms of exploitation and slavery during the country's period of independence, President Daniel Ortega said on Friday during his speech at the G77+China summit, adding that he would not waiver of his principles.

"The enemy [Global North] wants to control our land and impose its hegemony on the entire world, and behold it confronting China violently because it stands against [its] hegemony," the President told the audience, recalling the pivotal and historical role played by Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in shaping today's Global South reality.

Ortega emphasized that Beijing's approach is aimed at fostering development and improving the well-being of people, adding that China engages with Asian, African, and Latin American nations not to enforce sanctions but to actively contribute to their advancement and prosperity.

“The enemy wants to control our land and impose its hegemony on the entire world, and behold it confronting #China violently because it stands against hegemony.”#Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega#Cuba #Havana #Nicaragua #G77Summit #G77yChina https://t.co/Pz3QwAiCZh
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 15, 2023

The Nicaraguan President emphasized that the G77+China group intends to cooperate and solidify its unity, affirming that nations are striving to achieve their goals and turn intentions into tangible steps.

In addition to addressing political challenges, he also called for the development of a roadmap that would allow the countries of the South to face challenging economic conditions. Ortega argued that the prevailing principles of neoliberalism affect the behavior of societies and should be confronted.

Moreover, Ortega firmly rejected all policies violating the sovereignty of countries, citing Western-led coercive measures against Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. He made it clear that the threats faced by these countries should not be accepted.

The Nicaraguan leader went on to praise President Maduro's courageous stance against the violation of Southern countries' sovereignty and added, "When we make joint efforts, we can confront all challenges."

Ortega concluded by highlighting the importance of respecting the rights of others to avoid conflicts between nations. He emphasized that this Summit should lead to the development of a comprehensive roadmap for presenting the collective goals of Southern countries to the United Nations General Assembly UNGA.

Finally, he stressed that nations of the Global South deserve relief from their suffering and called on the UNGA to address this matter.

“The #G77Summit must lead to the development of a road map that allows us to develop our goals to present them to the United Nations General Assembly.”#Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega at the G77 Summit.#Cuba #Havana #Nicaragua #G77yChina https://t.co/gFbwxicofY
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 15, 2023

Abbas: Palestinians suffer from historical injustice

During his address at the G77+China Summit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that the Palestinian people are facing growing challenges related to the implementation of sustainable development goals due to Israeli occupation.

"The magnitude of the challenges today has become widely felt and is heading in a concerning direction," Abbas told the audience.

The Palestinian President pointed out that Palestine has borne the severe consequences of the global economic crisis, inflation, and rising commodity prices, adding that “the Palestinian people face increasing challenges regarding the implementation of the sustainable development goals due to the Israeli occupation."

“The Palestinian people face increasing challenges regarding the implementation of the sustainable development goals due to the Israeli occupation.”#Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the #G77Summit.#Cuba #Havana #Palestine #G77yChina https://t.co/GvFVkpKWiN
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 15, 2023

He continued to stress that the policies imposed by the occupation entity have led to the destruction of the Palestinian economy, "which can never be viable under occupation."

"... And the policies imposed by the occupation have led to the destruction of our economy, which can never be viable under occupation.”#Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the #G77Summit.#Cuba #Palestine #G77yChina https://t.co/F0cFsYgVKO
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 15, 2023

Furthermore, Abbas pointed out that "all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails must be released, and we are confident that the Group of 77 and China will stand up" for this cause.

In light of these challenges, he concluded that Palestinians are victims of "Israel's" colonial ambitions and that "historical injustice has hindered the aspirations of the Palestinian people, while Israel seeks to solidify its colonial reality."