Fernando Zegers, President of the Chilean Human Rights Commission: «The United States Has Undermined the Foundations of the International System»

Original article: Fernando Zegers, Presidente Comisión Chilena de DDHH: «Estados Unidos ha destruido las bases del sistema internacional»

Human rights expert supports warnings about the use of force and economic coercion against the sovereignty of nations.

During the episode on Friday, January 9, of the Ciudadana Interview on Canal Ciudadano, Fernando Zegers, the president of the Chilean Human Rights Commission, analyzed the complex landscape of International Law and Chile’s historical debts regarding reparations. He warned about the subordination of public discourse and how media concentration hinders genuine democratic debate about the nation’s future.

Zegers expressed concern over the crisis in the multilateral system and Washington’s foreign policy, citing points made by economist Jeffrey Sachs at the UN. He agreed that since 1947, the United States has employed «covert action and political manipulation to incite regime change» in dozens of sovereign nations.

He emphasized that this issue transcends merely ideological debates; it strikes at the survival of the fundamental norms governing the world. Zegers stressed that bombings and blockades have been executed without the authorization of the Security Council, which has «undermined and destroyed the foundations of the international system established after World War II,» he stated.

Echoing Sachs’ sentiments, the attorney highlighted that the international community must decide whether to allow one state to dictate the political future of another through force. In this context, «the peace and survival of humanity depend on whether the United Nations Charter remains a living instrument or if it is allowed to wither away,» Zegers quoted.

He also criticized the stance of certain right-wing sectors in Chile and the newly elected president, José Kast, who either explicitly or implicitly support such foreign interventions, like those in Venezuela. He termed this attitude a «blatant inconsistency,» pointing out that these same factions would not have accepted a similar aggression against Chile’s sovereignty during the dictatorship.

Finally, the president of the Chilean Human Rights Commission warned that the violation of norms by one regime does not justify other states to violate them in response, as this only perpetuates illegality. For Zegers, defending International Law is an inescapable responsibility for countries like Chile, whose security relies on shared rules rather than military might.

Watch the interview below: