UN General Assembly
1958

95. Many representatives here this afternoon have referred to the small countries as possible peacemakers between the larger and more powerful countries now at odds over such serious problems. This movement is related to the wide, indeed, universal, desire for peace and the justifiable terror of the consequences of violence in this day of tremendous destructive inventiveness, and Spain sympathises with and supports it. However, we have one reservation: for ourselves, we believe that this movement should not be interpreted as a form of neutrality or indifference in present international disputes. Let us indeed work for peace, but let us not think that this gives us, or at least gives Spain, the right to act as it were as an umpire between two competing sides, both ready to engage in violence at any time. We are quite capable of distinguishing — I have said this before, and I shall say it again — between a band of violent aggressors and free peoples, who respect the law, but are ready to fight against their unfortunately powerful opponents.