Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond
From Venezuela and made by Venezuelan Chavistas
President Lula surrounded by ordinary Brazilians who passed him the presidential sash as Jair Bolsonaro abandoned his presidential duty to do so and escaped to the United States less than 48 hours before his legal immunity expired. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/Gazeta Esportiva.
This Sunday, January 1, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in as Brazil’s president, while harshly criticising former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and promising a change of course to rescue a nation plagued with hunger, poverty and racism, all of which were exacerbated during Bolsonaro’s rule.
The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, arrived in Brasilia on Sunday afternoon as the official representative of the Venezuelan State.
“On behalf of the President of the republic Nicolás Maduro, we arrived in the city of Brasilia to accompany our Brazilian brothers and sisters in the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,” informed the deputy and leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) on his social media account.
Last Friday, the government of the far-right Jair Bolsonaro, then still-president of Brazil, reported that the restriction preventing Venezuelan government officials from visiting the country would be lifted. The restrictive measure responded to the policy of hostility and blockade that characterized the period of the now ex-president, who on the same day that the restriction was lifted, fled the country 48 hours before his presidential immunity expired.
En nombre del Presidente de la República Nicolás Maduro, arribamos a la ciudad de Brasilia para acompañar a nuestro hermano pueblo brasileño en la toma de posesión del Presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. pic.twitter.com/2Fp7LGGcxB
— Jorge Rodríguez (@jorgerpsuv) January 1, 2023
It’s also worth mentioning that the Brazilian foreign minister appointed by Lula for his unprecedented third term, Mauro Vieira, confirmed in his first statements after being appointed, that the resumption of diplomatic relations with Venezuela would be effective as of January 1, as well as the return of the Amazon nation to the regional mechanisms of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
The arrival of Rodríguez on behalf of Venezuela was covered by the Miraflores presidential press, highlighting the arrival of the deputy on a Conviasa plane “to the city of Brasilia on January 1, on the occasion of the inauguration of the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,” and to “accompany the Brazilian people in the celebration of the rise to power of the president … on behalf of the government of Venezuela.”
Later, images of Rodríguez shaking hands with Lula in the Planalto Palace (the headquarters of the Brazilian Executive) were released during the customary round of greetings by dignitaries to the recently sworn-in Brazilian president.
Subsequently, Venezuelan presidential press reported on its Twitter account that with the visit of the parliamentarian, “the bases were laid for the rebirth of the new stage of bilateral relations between Brazil and Venezuela,” which was shown “in a fraternal handshake between the president of the AN, Jorge Rodríguez and the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.”
En el Palacio de Planalto se sentaron las bases del renacimiento de la nueva etapa de relaciones bilaterales entre Brasil y Venezuela, que se expresa en un fraternal apretón de manos entre el presidente de la AN, @jorgerpsuv y el presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. pic.twitter.com/mNQtUdk0Rh
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) January 1, 2023
Ban on Maduro’s entry to Brazil lifted
The outgoing president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, lifted the ban on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from entering Brazil. This happened just hours before what many Brazilians labeled as the escape of Bolsonaro to the United States.
According to local media, Bolsonaro annulled an inter-ministerial decree from August 2019, which prevented the entry of the President of Venezuela and senior government officials to Brazil.
The revocation of the 2019 decree was signed last Thursday by the substitute minister for justice and security, Antonio Ramírez Lorenzo, and by current head of foreign affairs, Carlos França.
President Maduro had confirmed his participation in the ceremony and part of his security detailed was already in Brasilia according to local news outlets. However, the Venezuelan head of state is reported to have cancelled his visit at the last minute due to alleged security concerns.
Since Lula’s presidential race victory, bilateral relations have taken another course, leading to the appointment of Vicente Vadell as the ambassador of Venezuela in Brasilia.
Vadell’s appointment is given with the aim of starting a new cycle of relations between the two countries, which were weakened in 2016 after the coup perpetrated against former president Dilma Rousseff and the coming to power of Michel Temer.
(Últimas Noticias) by Victor Castellanos with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/DD
You must be logged in to post a comment.