The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Photo: EFE.
The Brazilian government has called for an emergency meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to address the US attack against Venezuela and the illegal abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
The acting foreign affairs minister of Brazil, MarĂa Laura da Rocha, stated on Saturday, January 3, that “a ministerial meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has been convened tomorrow [Sunday] at 2:00 p.m. local time in Brasilia, in which all countries of the region will participate.”
Rocha added that the Brazilian government will also present its opposition to US intervention at the United Nations Security Council meeting scheduled for Monday.
On Saturday morning, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that the US bombings on Venezuelan territory and the abduction of its president are unacceptable. “These acts represent a grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and set an extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community,” he said.
“Attacking countries in flagrant violation of international law is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism,” he added.
He further that “the condemnation of the use of force is consistent with the stance Brazil has always adopted in recent situations in other countries and regions. The US attack evokes the worst moments of interference in Latin American and Caribbean politics and threatens the preservation of the region as a zone of peace.”
Lula da Silva also insisted that the international community, through the United Nations, must respond firmly to this episode. “Brazil condemns these actions and remains ready to promote dialogue and cooperation,” he emphasized.
Trump Claims He Plans to ‘Govern Venezuela’ and Threatens 2nd Attack
United Nations Security Council schedules meeting to discuss situation in Venezuela
The UN mission of Somalia, which holds the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this January, announced that the Council will convene on Monday, January 5, to discuss the situation in Venezuela which suffered US bombardments on Saturday.
“The presidency intends to hold an emergency meeting on Monday at 10:00 a.m.,” the Somali delegation stated.
The US bombed military and civilian installations in Caracas and in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira at around 2:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Similarly, an explosion was reported in the tourist city of Higuerote in the northern state of Miranda.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed a few hours later on his Truth Social platform that the United States had carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured along with his wife, Cilia Flores. They have been taken to New York, where Maduro will be tried for alleged drug-trafficking offenses.
The United States had previously designated the non-existent Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization and claimed President Maduro was one of its leaders, and offered a $50 million reward for his capture.
The attack on Venezuela occurred after months of growing tensions, amplified since August by the United States with a military operation in the Caribbean that included a nuclear submarine, destroyers, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, and more than 4,000 troops.
Over these months, the US Navy carried out dozens of attacks on vessels in the Caribbean, claiming them to be “drug-boats,” killing at least 110 people. A naval blockade against Venezuela in mid-December was added to that deployment.
The justification for the US government’s military operation was to curb drug trafficking into its territory. However, Venezuela, which has never been a drug-producing country nor a transit route, condemned the attacks as a violation of international law and its sovereignty.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
