Star Metro - Brazil's Lula meets with Venezuela's Maduro

NYSE - LSE

CMSC	-0.12%	21.45	$
VOD	1.22%	16.42	$
GSK	-0.97%	49.52	$
NGG	-0.19%	81.05	$
RBGPF	0%	71.34	$
BTI	-0.51%	57.06	$
RIO	-0.43%	95.68	$
AZN	-0.5%	156.45	$
RYCEF	0.62%	20.84	$
BCE	0.64%	23.47	$
CMSD	-0.05%	21.58	$
BP	0.52%	42.53	$
RELX	-0.7%	34.43	$
BCC	-1.07%	83.24	$
JRI	0.5%	12.61	$

Brazil's Lula meets with Venezuela's Maduro

POLITICS 29.05.2023

Brazil's Lula meets with Venezuela's Maduro / Photo: EVARISTO SA - AFP

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met Monday with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, renewing a relationship severed under far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.

Text size:

Maduro, who arrived in Brasilia Sunday for a South American leaders' summit, was welcomed by an honor guard at the presidential palace, where veteran leftist Lula greeted him with a hug and a back-slap.

The leaders will hold two hours of meetings, then preside over a signing ceremony for various agreements before attending a lunch in honor of Maduro and Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores, according to Lula's official schedule.

The pair will discuss "advances in the process of normalizing bilateral relations," including "the reopening of the (countries') embassies," the Brazilian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Brazil cut diplomatic ties with the Maduro government under Bolsonaro (2019-2022), who joined the United States and other critics in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim leader.

Lula's decision to restore relations with Maduro's socialist government -- accused of human rights violations and trampling on democracy -- has drawn criticism from opponents.

"Brazil is back to welcoming South American dictators with state honors," opposition Senator Sergio Moro wrote on Twitter.

Lula, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, cultivated close ties with Maduro's predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez.

He invited Maduro to the Brazilian capital along with the rest of South America's leaders for a "retreat" Tuesday aimed at rebooting regional cooperation. It will be the first regional summit in nearly a decade.

"I am grateful for the warm welcome we've received in Brasilia," Maduro tweeted Sunday.

Nine other South American leaders are also due to attend the summit. The only absence is expected to be Peruvian President Dina Boluarte.

K.Morrison--SMC

Featured

Jaded voters, same old choices: Brazil kicks off election campaign

Brazil's leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro kick off their election campaigns on Sunday in a race that has many voters feeling a weary sense of deja vu.

'Everyone lives in fear': Yemenis worry about return to all-out war

Yemen's years-long civil conflict killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and drove the country to the brink of famine before a 2022 truce restored relative calm. Now, renewed hostilities between the Houthi rebels and the government have many fearing the return of all-out war.

Zambia's vote marred by intimidation, counting pause: observers

International observers of Zambia's elections said Saturday the poll was marred by claims of intimidation, abductions and an hours-long pause in the vote count.

South Korea president proposes talks with North to formally end Korean War

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean War, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia while asserting its status as an "irreversible" nuclear state.