He hadn’t set foot in Brazil for eight years. After being treated as an outcast by far-right former Brazilian head of state Jair Bolsonaro, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is making his first official visit to Brasilia since 2015, and intends to renew ties between the two nations.
“Today is the beginning of a new era in relations between our countries, between our peoples”, said Mr. Maduro on Monday May 29, who arrived in the Brazilian capital on Sunday evening May 28. The socialist leader is due to attend a summit on Tuesday that will bring together South American heads of state.
“Venezuela has always been an outstanding partner for [notre pays]. But due to the political situation and the mistakes made, [M. Maduro] eight years without coming to Brazil”Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said after a face-to-face meeting with his counterpart. “It’s the return of Maduro” on the South American scene, added the leftist president of Brazil, for whom the resumption of relations between the two countries is a “historical”.
Lula’s criticisms of Europe
These relationships were non-existent under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro between 2019 and 2023, who described the Venezuelan socialist regime as “dictatorship” and had recognized his opponent Juan Guaido as interim president, as well as some fifty countries, including the United States and several European nations.
“How could a continent that has lived democracy so fully by creating the European Union, accept the idea that an imposter is the President [du Venezuela] just because he didn’t like the one who was elected? »Lula asked on Monday.
During his first stint as president of Brazil (2003-2010), the former metalworker had close ties to Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro’s predecessor and mentor.
Objective of Tuesday’s summit in Brasilia “restart the dialogue” among the South American countries, to find “a common vision” in areas such as health, infrastructure, energy, the environment and the fight against organized crime.
