Santos urges South Africa to defend principles in US dealings
Former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos says economic interests cannot be the only consideration in relations between countries.
Former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said South Africa should defend its principles and values in its dealings with the United States, arguing that economic interests cannot be the only consideration in relations between countries. He made the case at the 24th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Cape Town on 6 November.
In the lecture, Santos urged nations to defend human dignity and uphold international law. He warned that political and economic interests could make governments reluctant to confront injustice. Speaking to the Mail & Guardian afterwards, he said: "For me, the most important thing in life is to respect the dignity of others and to defend my dignity."
The theme, "When is silence complicity?", drew on Santos's experience of Colombia's decades-long armed conflict and his government's negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted the event with One Young World.
Why it mattersGovernments weighing trade ties against human rights concerns are now being urged to put principles first in their dealings with partners such as the United States.