MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Boric and Arce advocate for multilateralism and Global South empowerment

Arce's Bolivia is an associate member of BRICS, while Boric participated as a guest

Presidents Gabriel Boric Font of Chile and Bolivia's Luis Arce Catacora advocated for multilateralism, international law, and the strengthening of the Global South during their interventions at the BRICS 2025 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Boric emphasized Chile's unwavering commitment to multilateralism and human rights, stating that “Chile does not legitimize unilateral aggression against any country,” regardless of differing political systems or values. He called for consistency in applying international law, criticizing the “logic of the Cold War” where violations by one side were condemned while those by allies were ignored.

He explicitly stated that just as Chile condemns the actions of the Israeli government in Palestine, it also firmly condemns Russia's unilateral aggression against Ukraine, upholding Chile's tradition of defending multilateralism.

In addition, he urged collective action on global issues such as organized crime, climate change, and migration, and called for a reform of global governance to better reflect the voices of the Global South.

Meanwhile, Arce highlighted the challenge of promoting industrialization with sovereignty and proposed disconnecting from the “global capitalist center” to build a common economic and financial system. He stressed the importance of a multipolar world order and effective multilateralism to overcome geopolitical contradictions.

Arce also argued that countries of the Global South needed a distinct industrialization strategy rooted in “collective creation” and breaking “chains built by imperialism,” and underscored the importance of indigenous and sovereign development to strengthening cultural values and defending life for plural and peaceful coexistence.

The BRICS summit, held under the slogan “Strengthening Global South cooperation for more inclusive and sustainable governance,” sought to foster collaboration and address global challenges.