Between October 12, 1492, and the end of the second millennium, Western expansionism had a major influence on the global community.
European empires, which originated in countries poor in raw materials, developed a system for finding natural resources elsewhere that would fuel their growth. This system was known as colonialism. See the Berlin Conference (1884)
In response to Western hegemony, recent decades have seen increased partnership between regions of the Global South.
For example, under the governments of Presidents Hugo Chávez and Muammar Gaddafi, three South America-Africa Summits (ASA) were held with the aim of uniting the efforts of the two continents, emancipating themselves from old models of external domination, and deciding their own future with increasing freedom.
The Bolivarian government of Venezuela has promoted several integration initiatives with other South American countries, notably the CELAC Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which aspires to greater independence from Western influence, particularly that of the United States.
In Africa, the government of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, with Libya’s gold reserves, had promoted the creation of a pan-African bank, which was intended to free the peoples of Africa from systemic debt to Western financial institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Bretton Woods Agreements, etc.).
The Libyan government also proposed the creation of the United States of Africa with infrastructure projects that would accelerate the growth of prosperity for the peoples of the continent, the cradle of humanity.
However, the mutual rapprochement between these emancipatory projects worried the neocolonial powers sometimes referred to as the “Neo-East India Company.”
When countries in the Global South attempt to emancipate themselves from former hegemonic powers, their representatives are generally accused of all kinds of evils and demonized by the Western mainstream to the point of justifying their removal from the scene or their elimination.
The West has spared no effort to slow Africa’s growth. Gaddafi was killed in 2011 following a NATO military intervention, outside the UN resolutions and in violation of international law, under the pretext of human rights. The emancipation of Africa, so feared by the elites of NATO countries, was temporarily averted. President Hugo Chavez died in Venezuela in 2013 of an unidentified illness.
After the death of two key figures in South American-African partnership, the Pan-African Bank and United States of Africa projects were temporarily blocked and the implementation of the ASA summits was also halted after three editions: November 2006 in Abuja (Nigeria), September 2009 on Margarita Island (Venezuela), February 2013: Malabo (Equatorial Guinea). The fourth edition, scheduled for 2017 in Quito (Ecuador), did not take place.
But the rapprochement between the peoples of the South did not stop there. Twelve years after the last ASA summit, two new representatives from South America and Africa met to revitalize South-South partnership. This took place on May 9, 2025, during the celebrations of the victory over Nazism, for which many state representatives traveled to Moscow.
On this occasion, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited his Burkinabe counterpart Ibrahima Traoré at the Burkina Faso embassy in Moscow. Currently, 27 bilateral agreements exist between Venezuela and Burkina Faso in the political, security, scientific, and agricultural fields. Recently, the two countries signed 14 new agreements in the fields of energy, mining, gold and oil extraction. Bolivarian Venezuela promotes President Chavez’s approach to Africancountries, known as “Mother Africa diplomacy.”
With regard to the trend toward cooperation among the peoples of the South, it should be noted that, since January 1, 2025, the BRICS have officially welcomed nine new “partner” states. Together, the members and partners of the group now represent 51% of the world’s population and 40% of GDP, not counting the list of countries aspiring to join.
Ultimately, NATO’s practice of neutralizing independent and patriotic heads of state has not slowed the growth of the South, but has probably even accelerated it. For example, Thomas Sankara was assassinated in 1987, but his message of freedom and independence is spreading today among young Africans for whom he represents a myth.
In September 2023, the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, in response to external attempts at destabilization, created the Sahel Confederation. These countries, with the overwhelming support of their populations, removed NATO bases from their territory, created their own currency, developed their industry, and reclaimed their natural resources for the benefit of their respective populations.
Western countries continue to profit from Africa’s cheap resources and are deeply concerned about its emancipation. Just think of the number of years that Western energy companies such as Areva have been supplying nuclear power plants in Europe and around the world with uranium extracted in Niger at rock-bottom prices. According to very serious accusations by Nigerien President Abdourahmane Tiani, the West also uses terrorism to preserve its privileges in Africa.
In mid-April, AFRICOM commander Michael Langley falsely accused Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traoré of irregularities in the exercise of his duties. It should be remembered that such accusations are often used to demonize troublesome patriots before proceeding to their removal or neutralization. In response, on April 30, with the help of social media, hundreds of nonviolent protests spread across Africa and African diasporas around the world. Pan-Africanist groups linked to one another urged NATO “not to touch President Traoré,” warning that if anything happened to him, “the representations of Western multinationals in Africa and elsewhere could soon become less safeplaces.”
One aspect to consider is that the peoples of the South—despite centuries of injustice—do not harbor a particularly vengeful spirit. They simply want to regain control of their destiny and allow their children and grandchildren to enjoy the riches of their land.
This raises some questions about the West and its armed wing, NATO.
Will the West overcome its superiority complex by re-lubricating itself as normal members of humanity?
Will it be able to obtain the natural resources it needs honestly?
Will it be able to recognize the harm it has inflicted on other peoples, reconcile itself, apologize, and repair the damage it has caused?
Will it establish reciprocal relationships with others instead of engaging in endless wars over resources?
Will it assume an evolutionary role in the new multicentric and unifying world order toward a universal human nation?
There will be no real progress in the world unless it is for all and by all.
