Brazil says US blockade of Venezuela violates UN Charter

Brazil declared this Tuesday (12/23) that the United States’ military mobilization in the Caribbean and the naval blockade imposed on Venezuela violate the United Nations Charter and must be immediately stopped.

The Brazilian position was presented by Brazil’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Sérgio Danese, during an emergency meeting of the Security Council called at the request of the Venezuelan government, in a context of escalating tensions between Caracas and Washington.

“The military force assembled and maintained by the United States in the vicinity of Venezuela and the recently announced naval blockade constitute violations of the United Nations Charter. This is why they must cease immediately and unconditionally in favor of the use of widely available political and legal instruments,” said the Brazilian diplomat.

Danese stressed that Brazil defends multilateralism, the peaceful resolution of disputes and strict respect for international law. According to him, unilateral coercive measures are not supported by the United Nations Charter, especially when they are accompanied by the use or threat of use of force.

“Unilateral coercive measures have no basis in the United Nations Charter and even less can they be implemented through the use or threat of force,” he said. “Solutions based on force are totally contrary to the best traditions and the commitment to peace assumed by Latin America and the Caribbean. »

The representative of Brazil also stressed that the country is available to contribute to a diplomatic solution to the crisis, provided that there is the consent of the parties concerned. “Brazil invites both countries to a genuine dialogue, conducted in good faith and without coercion. As President Lula has already publicly stated, his government will be ready to collaborate, if necessary,” he said.

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Ambassador Sérgio Danese

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President Lula

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President Lula during a ministerial meeting at the Official Residence of Granja do Torto

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Maduro receives Architect of Peace medal after Corina receives Nobel Prize

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President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro

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Escalation of conflict

The meeting takes place in a context of a strong hardening of the government’s position under the administration of Donald Trump with regard to Venezuela.
For about four months, Washington has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, particularly off the Venezuelan coast, officially under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking.
This allegation is vehemently rejected by Caracas, which accuses the United States of trying to promote regime change.
Last week, Trump announced a total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, intensifying pressure against Nicolas Maduro’s government.
The siege includes interceptions and seizures of ships, such as the tanker Skipper, recently arrested by US authorities.

The United States will continue to strengthen its siege

At the Security Council meeting, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Washington would continue to apply sanctions “with the utmost rigor” to prevent Maduro from accessing financial resources.

According to him, the sale of oil would allow the Venezuelan president to maintain what he describes as a “fraudulent claim to power” and activities linked to drug trafficking.

The escalation also sparked reactions from other international actors. Russia has warned the United States against making a “fatal mistake” over Venezuela, warning of unpredictable consequences for the West.

Lula timidly seeks to arbitrate

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) had already publicly spoken out against the American military presence in the region. According to him, more than four decades after the Falklands War, South America is once again “haunted” by the military actions of an extra-regional power.

“The limits of international law are being tested. An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world,” Lula said.