The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, made Brazil available this Thursday (07/12) to “host as many negotiation meetings as necessary” between Venezuela and Guyana on the Essequibo issue.
The president recognized the issue as “important”, so that Mercosur, which also met this Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, “cannot remain aloof”.
An important issue that we have to debate is the Essequibo issue. Mercosur cannot stay away from the issue. I suggest that Celac’s current president can discuss the issue with both parties: Guyana and Venezuela. Brazil is available to host as many…
— Lula (@LulaOficial) December 7, 2023
Listing ways that the situation can be resolved, Lula suggested that the current president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) “can address the issue with both parties”;
“We don’t want and we don’t need more war, especially on our continent. We have to build peace to improve people’s lives”, concluded the president on the matter, through his social networks.
Mercosur’s “deep concern”
The crisis between Venezuela and Guyana over control of Essequibo is observed with “deep concern”, said the presidents of Mercosur in a statement released this Thursday (07/12) during the bloc’s biannual summit in Rio de Janeiro.
“Mercosur member states express their deep concern about the increase in tensions. Latin America must be a territory of peace, and, in this case, work with all the tools of its long tradition of dialogue”, highlights the document.
“In this context, the leaders warn about unilateral actions that should be avoided, as they add tension, and urge both parties to dialogue and seek a peaceful solution to the dispute.”
The text was signed by representatives of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as representatives of the governments of Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
Guyana claims Lula’s support
Despite diplomatic mediations from Mercosur and Lula, the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, stated that he had received support from the Brazilian president in the dispute with Venezuela for control of the territory rich in oil and minerals.
“President Lula assured me that Brazil strongly supports Guyana and that he would not support any reckless behavior by Venezuela,” Ali said in an interview with CNN Brazil.
Ali also assured that he is working with the United States government and hopes that Washington will take a “strong” position against Venezuela.
The crisis will be the subject of a meeting this Friday (08/12) of the UN Security Council, of which Brazil is a non-permanent member.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
