The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at a press conference. Photo: Andre Borges/EFE/file photo.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his country’s commitment to peace amid regional tensions generated by the current deployment of US warships off the coast of Venezuela.
On Friday, September 5, he said that Brazil “will be on the side it has always been, on the side of peace,” adding that war only brings death and poverty.
“If there is a disagreement between two countries, there is nothing better or cheaper than sitting down at a negotiating table and talking,” he said, reaffirming that Brazil does not support any US military operation against Venezuela.
Regarding US tariff increase on Brazil, Lula expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue with US President Donald Trump. “The day he wants to engage in dialogue, Lula will return to peace and love,” he said. These statement follows Washington’s recent decision to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian products.
Similarly, Brazilian Defense Minister José Múcio expressed concern about US military threats against Venezuela.
“We are concerned about our border, we do not want it to become a trench,” Múcio said, emphasizing that Brazil invests in its Armed Forces to protect its own territory, not to intervene in external conflicts.
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The minister also expressed his desire for a prompt resolution of the current tensions. Brazil, he said, maintains its peaceful stance and makes efforts to prevent the militarization of its land border with Venezuela.
Brazil is one of the signatory countries of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, approved in 2014 during the Havana Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). This declaration is aimed at guaranteeing regional stability and cooperation, fostering dialogue among member countries, and rejecting the use or threat of force, in line with the United Nations Charter, to establish the region as a zone free from intervention and conflict.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
