The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterresdenounced this Wednesday the existence throughout the world of a “surge” of xenophobia, racism, violent misogyny and hate against different religious groups. “The neo-nazi white supremacist groups represent today the biggest internal security threat in various countries and the fastest growing,” Guterres recalled in a speech to the Security Council.

The Portuguese recalled that evils such as the demonization of the other, the contempt for diversity and the violation of rights are not new, but now they are advancing at a speed never seen before. “The Social Media Has Equipped Hatemongers with a global megaphone for bile. Today, no conspiracy is too outrageous to find a wide audience; there is no excessively absurd falsehood to fuel the online frenzy,” Guterres said.

The head of the United Nations lamented that even “blatant lies” are achieving credibility on an equal footing with facts and science and are often promoted by political leaders.

As he warned, hateful ideas and language are moving from the margins to the conventional And its effects are deadly, as shown by the fact that those responsible for some of the most notorious attacks against mosques, synagogues and churches in recent years were people who had become radicalized on the internet. “Hate feeds humanity’s worst impulses. It is a catalyst for polarization and radicalization and the pathway to atrocities,” he insisted.