Lula says he discussed the possibility of “normalizing” the situation in Venezuela

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said, this Tuesday morning (18), that the meeting he had with the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, on Monday (17), was an attempt to “normalize” the situation in the Latin country. The meeting took place during the trip to Belgium to participate in the 3rd CELAC-European Union Summit.

Lula had a meeting with Delcy and lawyer Gerardi Blyde, one of the leaders of the opposition in the country, in addition to the participation of the presidents of Argentina, Colombia and France.

According to the president, the meeting with the Venezuelans was only possible due to participation in the summit, which brings together presidents from Europe and Central and South America.

“We had a meeting with France, with Colombia, with Argentina, with a representative of the Venezuelan opposition negotiator, with the vice president, to discuss a little the possibility of ‘normalizing’ the situation. All this happened within a space where we don’t need to leave and go anywhere”, said Lula during the weekly live Conversation with the President.

He, however, did not give details of the tone of the discussion or whether any solution was found by the participants. A European Union commissioner told journalists accompanying the summit in Brussels that he might send a diplomatic mission to Venezuela soon to assess the situation in the country.

At this Monday’s meeting (17), the Venezuelan vice president classified the economic sanctions against her country as a “criminal blockade”, and asked that the restrictions be lifted.

“We came with great hope of bringing the message from Venezuela, the lifting of the criminal blockade against our country, that is why we bring from the president [o ditador venezuelano] Nicolás Maduro a message of peace, harmony, cooperation, which must be the path that continues and guides our countries”, he said.

The meeting was attended by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández. The holding of the meeting was confirmed by the Palácio do Planalto, which did not give details about what was discussed among the participants, informed Agência Brasil.

Venezuela will have general elections next year and the opposition in the country is questioning decisions by public bodies that disqualified some of its main candidates. In the most recent case, former deputy María Corina Machado was sentenced to the loss of political rights for 15 years. Also opposition politicians, Henrique Capriles and Freddy Superlano are equally disqualified from running for president of the country. The date of the elections in 2024 has not yet been set.

diplomatic rapprochement

In addition to relations with Venezuela, Lula commented during the live on the agenda he has been fulfilling on the trip to Belgium, such as the diplomatic rapprochement with the countries of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, which he classified as “extraordinary”, and which the Brazil is becoming “even more important” due to the energy transition.

“The world is watching the Amazon rainforest”, he said, highlighting national sovereignty over the biome, but paving the way for partnership and cooperation agreements for the exploitation of forest resources for the production of drugs, cosmetics, research, among others.

Other subjects discussed by Lula in this Tuesday’s live (18) were the launch of the Desenrola program, which can clear the names of up to 2.5 million Brazilians with debts; the relaunch of the Mais Médicos program; the creation of cultural committees in all Brazilian capitals, to develop the creative economy; between others.

Lula also stated that he will have a meeting with the president of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, this Wednesday (19), during the technical stopover he will have to make in the Atlantic country during his return trip to Brazil.

This week’s live, broadcast in the midst of commitments on the trip to Belgium, had peaks of up to 4,100 people watching.