Members of Brazilian diplomacy regretted the decision of Mercosur countries to issue a statement demanding the “restoration of democracy” in Venezuela. The initiative was brought by Javier Milei’s Argentina during the Mercosur summit in Foz do Iguaçu (PR).
Foreign Ministry sources say that a text concerning the political situation in the neighboring country had been under negotiation between the bloc countries for weeks.
According to Itamaraty’s interlocutors, Brazil agreed to include in the declaration points relating to human rights and the humanitarian crisis created under the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. However, the country defended the balance of the bloc’s position.
This balance would amount to including in the official document a paragraph affirming that the presence of international military forces in the Caribbean represents a serious threat to the sovereignty of the region – in reference to the presence of the United States in the area.
However, other countries did not agree to include the section containing this warning. Faced with the split, Brazil was absent from the construction of the final text. Uruguay also did not sign the document.
The Brazilian government said the membership could be understood as a seal of approval for U.S. actions, which have so far included the confiscation of Venezuelan oil tankers and the bombing of boats in the Caribbean.
“We knew they would create the document. It is their right. But since Brazil’s position was already known, we were not consulted on the language. We regret that there was not a traditional declaration from the Mercosur party and associate states,” said a diplomat who followed the negotiations.
Since August, the United States has sent warships to the Caribbean Sea, as well as fighter jets and a nuclear submarine.
When asked, Itamaraty did not comment on the episode.
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