Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva affirmed that it is possible to seek a negotiated solution to the tensions between the United States and Venezuela and to avoid an armed conflict in the region. Lula reiterated the readiness of his government to act diplomatically to contribute to an understanding between the parties. During an encounter with journalists in Brasília, Lula da Silva anticipated that he plans to speak again with U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming days, with the aim of exploring dialogue avenues to prevent a potential military intervention in the neighboring country. The statements come in a context of growing tension, after the United States deployed forces in the Caribbean, on the Venezuelan border, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. "I am thinking, before Christmas, to speak again with Trump to know in what Brazil can contribute so that we have an agreement and not a war," the Brazilian head of state signaled. "And I told Trump: 'If you consider that Brazil can contribute, we will have every interest in speaking with Venezuela, with you, and with other countries to avoid an armed confrontation here in Latin America and in our beloved South America'," he explained. He added that Brazil has a direct interest in regional stability, given that it shares thousands of kilometers of border with Venezuela. Lula stressed that negotiation must be a priority and expressed his concern over the true motivations behind the threat of military action. "It was possible to negotiate without war. Then, I am always concerned about what is behind this, because it cannot be just the issue of ousting Maduro."
