The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, stated that a military intervention in Venezuela would be “a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere” and warned that “the limits of international law are being tested,” during his speech at the 67th Summit of Heads of State of Mercosur, held in Foz do Iguaçu, as reported by the Argentine News Agency.
Alarm signals over military escalation The Brazilian leader questioned the growing presence of foreign military forces in the region and expressed concern over the threats from the United States against Venezuela, which could include naval actions and a blockade of the oil industry. “More than four decades after the Falklands War, the South American continent is once again astonished by the military presence of an extra-regional power,” Lula stated, and alerted that “the strength of democratic regimes is also being tested.”
Call for dialogue and respect for institutions Lula recalled that Brazil experienced an attempted institutional rupture in 2023 and highlighted that those responsible were “investigated, judged, and condemned in accordance with due legal process.” He also revealed that in a recent conversation, he sought to persuade US President Donald Trump that negotiation is “more effective and less costly than military confrontation,” as tension grows around the Venezuelan situation.
Claims in international forums Latin American governments and regional organizations demanded diplomatic responses and urgent measures from the UN and the international community regarding the oil blockade and the advance of US operations in the Caribbean.
