On Monday (Tuesday AEST), Lula said he backed Venezuela joining a block of emerging-market nations known as BRICS – made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and pledged to boost business in the country.
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The Brazilian president has repeatably pushed back against criticism of the Venezuelan government, which is widely condemned for its human rights abuses and mishandling of the economy.
“Maduro does not have dollars for imports,” he said. “It’s the fault of the US, which created an extremely exaggerated blockade.”
Across the region, even some of Maduro’s critics have taken steps to re-engage. Last week, Chilean President Gabriel Boric nominated a new ambassador to Venezuela, a position that had been unfilled since 2018. Foreign Relations Minister Alberto van Klaveren said there was a need for strong working ties between the two nations given areas of common interest, such as migration.
At the end off 2022, Colombian leader Gustavo Petro officially reopened his nation’s border with Venezuela.
Lula is hosting leaders of South American nations for the first such summit in nine years on Tuesday. He said leaders should discuss cooperation in energy and crime-fighting, and suggested he might consider floating the idea of a regional currency to challenge the US dollar. But he said nothing would be decided during the meeting.
“The main idea is that we need to form a bloc to work together,” Lula said.
Bloomberg, AP