olivia President denounces UN 'imperialism'

Morales defends Palestinian quest for UN membership, says imperialism seeks to control all of world's sources of energy.

'The UN Security Council is a group of countries that decide on interventions and slaughters' UNITED NATIONS - Bolivian President Evo Morales slammed the UN's key body as the "Council of Insecurity" Wednesday as he railed against "capitalism" and "imperialism" at the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, Morales defended the Palestinian quest for UN membership, and asked for support for Bolivia's perennial quest for an ocean seaboard, lost to Chile in an 1879 war. Morales was left to pick up the slack since his ally Hugo Chavez, the firebrand Venezuelan president, is undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Havana after having a cancerous tumor removed in June. The UN Security Council is "a group of countries that decide on interventions and slaughters," Morales said. "This is a 'Council of Insecurity' for presidents, governments and people who seek liberation -- not just social but economic -- and the recovery of their natural resources," Morales said. The leftist Andean leader went on to claim that "imperialism seeks to control all of the world's sources of energy," and to achieve this they stir up internal conflicts to justify intervention, as was the case in Libya. "They don't accuse us any more of being Marxists or Leninists. Now they come with other instruments like narcotrafficking and terrorism. They prepare invasions when their governments are not pro-capitalist," Morales said. "Here there is talk of a lasting peace. How can there be talk of a lasting peace with American (military) bases, with interventions? What is the purpose then of these United Nations?" Morales expressed strong support for the Palestinians, and accused Israel of "bombing, attacking, killing and taking land" from them. "Not only does Bolivia support the Palestinian recognition by the United Nations, our position is to welcome the Palestinians to the United Nations," he said to a round of applause. There is also a "dirty campaign" trying to link his government to the illegal drug trade, and despite it all "Bolivia continues its fight against narcotrafficking," Morales said. Morales also participated in a religious service in New York to pray for the recovery of Chavez, who is recovering from a fourth round of chemotherapy in Cuba to treat his cancer. The event was held in the Riverside Church in northwestern Manhattan, and was organized by New York-based peace groups. Hollywood actor Sean Penn and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro were at the event, according to Venezuelan diplomats. Chavez and Morales met Saturday in Caracas, and then traveled together to Havana.