Lula articulates regional reaction to Trump’s threats and offensive in Venezuela

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva intensified this Thursday (8) coordination with Latin American leaders in reaction to the United States military offensive in Venezuela and Washington’s new threats to the region, reaffirming the defense of sovereignty, multilateralism and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Throughout the day, the Brazilian president held telephone calls with the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, with the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, and with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney.

The articulation occurs amid the escalation of statements by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who once again threatened countries in the region with military actions in Mexico and Colombia, defended the expansion of the North American presence and control over Greenland and announced the imposition of political tutelage over Venezuela.

In the conversation with the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, Lula criticized the use of force against a South American country, identified by both governments as a violation of international law, the UN Charter and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and defended that the crisis be resolved by peaceful means, with dialogue and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people.

The Brazilian president also reported that Brazil began sending 40 tons of inputs and medicines to Venezuela, part of a total of 300 tons collected to replenish stocks of dialysis products and solutions affected by the bombings.

With the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, Lula reiterated his rejection of attacks against Venezuelan sovereignty and the resumption of a logic of dividing the world into zones of influence.

The two leaders reaffirmed the defense of multilateralism, international law and free trade, in addition to their commitment to cooperation in favor of peace, dialogue and regional stability.

In the call with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, the two leaders condemned the use of force without support in the UN Charter and argued that the future of Venezuela must be decided sovereignly by its people.

Lula and Carney also agreed on the need to reform global governance institutions and expressed interest in advancing negotiations for a trade agreement between Mercosur and Canada.

The talks come after Trump intensified his confrontational rhetoric with countries in Latin America and the North Atlantic, days after the United States carried out its first bombing raid in South America.

This Thursday (8), in an interview with The New York Times, Trump stated that the US Armed Forces will “now start attacking on land” the territory of Mexico, under the argument of fighting drug cartels.

Trump said that only “his own morals” constitute a limit to the US government’s actions abroad. Asked about respect for international law, Trump declared that he “does not need” these norms and that the only thing capable of stopping him is “his own mind”. The North American president also stated that United States control over Greenland would be “psychologically necessary for success” and admitted that the choice between NATO stability and the incorporation of the territory could become a dilemma for his government.