Haddad and other ministers during Lula’s meeting with Maduro in the Planalto| Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/Palácio do Planalto

The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, said this Monday (29) that the government will create a Working Group (GT) to discuss Venezuela’s debt with Brazil. The head of the economic portfolio participated in the meeting of the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) at the Planalto Palace this morning.

“A working group will be set up to consolidate Venezuela’s debt against Brazil and, based on this consolidation of numbers, reschedule the payment. So, that’s what the Treasury went to deal with”, said Haddad about the meeting with Maduro.

Haddad also stated that the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services is taking care of commercial exchange issues between the two countries. The Ministry of Mines and Energy will deal with matters related to energy trade.

Venezuela’s debt with Brazil is around US$ 1 billion, related to BNDES financing and also to companies that export to Venezuela. After having lunch with Lula at the Itamaraty Palace, Maduro stated that the WG between the two countries will establish the “truth” about the size of the debt.