English transcript:

Friends, Mexicans, Members of the Armed Forces, Citizens, special guests:

Today, when we proudly welcome our national Independence, I would like to make known the proposal that in the coming days Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, will present, with the indispensable protocol, to the General Assembly of the United Nations.

It is a matter of urgently seeking an agreement to stop the war in Ukraine and to achieve a truce of at least five years for peace among all nations to devote all that time to face the great and serious economic and social problems that afflict and torment the peoples of the world.

Politics is the only instrument we have to avoid war. However, interest groups in positions of governmental or economic power are careful to lead politics towards armed conflict and, once this mistake has been made, instead of amending it, choose to deepen it, without giving rise to the suffering they inflict on humanity or the damage they cause to the stability of nations and the well-being of societies. This led to Russia's war in Ukraine, subsequent sanctions adopted and the massive shipment of arms to the invaded country, actions that contributed to the ongoing confrontation an additional dose of irrationality.

We should start by wondering whether war could not be avoided and whether the UN and the politicians of the major powers did not fail to have a responsibility to promote dialogue between the parties to peacefully resolve the dispute.

The truth is that nothing or very little has been done in that direction: the UN remains inactive and as erasure, prey to a formalism and political ineffectiveness that leave it in a purely ornamental role.

Even more reprehensible is the action of the great powers that explicitly or silently position themselves in the face of the conflict only to serve their hegemonic interests. That is why the suspicion cannot be avoided that, although it seems perverse and incredible, this war, like many others, is being fuelled by the interests of the war industry.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is certainly reprehensible. I take this opportunity to endorse that we Mexicans do not accept any foreign intervention because we have been victims of five of these great calamities: one, with several attempts to reconquest, Spain; two from France and two from the United States of America; these invasions have cost us blood, martyrdom and territory.

But that is why we can help but wonder how NATO governments are denied Ukraine their entry into the organization at crucial times, on the one hand, while on the other they offer it weapons and economic or commercial sanctions against Russia, measures that have only served to aggravate the conflict, produce more suffering from victims, their families and refugees, to aggravate the shortage of food and energy and to boost global inflation, phenomena all that harm the vast majority of the world's peoples.

However, it is never too late to amend a mistake, especially if it has become an attack on human, social and economic rights throughout the world.

That is why the Government of Mexico proposes that, instead of continuing to feed this painful and absurd war, a committee for dialogue and peace be immediately set up, which would be integrated, if accepted and there is a willingness to participate with the potential mediators, by the Heads of State of India and the Vatican, as well as by the Secretary-General of the UN; I refer to Prime Minister Modi of India, Pope Francis and Secretary-General António Guterres.

The peace mission must immediately seek a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and the start of direct talks with President Zelenski of Ukraine and President Putin of Russia.

In addition, this committee, according to our proposal, should also reach a multinational agreement to agree on a truce of at least five years, unanimously approved by the UN Security Council and involving the immediate suspension of military actions and provocations, as well as nuclear and missile tests; the agreement would establish the commitment of all States to avoid confrontation and not to intervene in internal conflicts. We believe that this can create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility that allows us to devote all the efforts of Governments to address the lacerating problems of poverty, health and violence that are suffered on all continents and to deal with the migration phenomenon in a humanitarian and fraternal way.

Without peace there will be neither economic growth nor much less justice.

To rule should not be an exercise of hegemony or dominion, but, above all, the search for well-being for peoples; power only makes sense and becomes virtue when it is put at the service of others.

Hopefully and we will succeed with this initiative, but, even if whatever happens, it will never be in vain to fight for justice and peace.

I conclude by thanking the presence of a wise man, Pepe Mújica; of Evo Morales, honest and courageous social fighter; of John Shipton and Gabriel, father and brother of Julian Assange, the quixtry of our time of freedom of expression and who remains unjustly imprisoned and from this public square, the main square of the Mexican Republic, we promise to continue demanding the freedom of Julian Assange. Thank you, dearest Aleida Guevara, for accompanying us, daughter of Ernesto Ché Guevara, the great revolutionary idealist; thanks also with all my heart to the family of César Chávez, daughters and sons who accompany us, let us not forget, César Chávez, the late César Chávez, was the leader and is a defender until today of workers, migrants and Mexican agricultural day laborers, and I said that they are still of the men who do not die at all, close their eyes, they remain guarding and always fighting for justice

Friends:

All our guests symbolize historical ideals and struggles for a just, egalitarian and fraternal world, and are heirs to women and men of unwavering faith, courage and dignity.

Also in this civic-military event, I thank in a fraternal, sincere way, the loyalty of the Mexican Armed Forces, both to the Secretariat of the Navy and the Secretariat of National Defense with its new branch, the National Guard, an institution responsible for guaranteeing, with efficiency and respect for human rights, public security in our country.

Friends, Mexicans:

I express to all Mexicans, free women and men, good citizens of convictions, good citizens, my deepest recognition for putting into practice the principle of love for others and for their unwavering decision to continue fighting, against wind and tide, for a free, just, always dawn and eternal homeland.

Long live Mexico.