Brazil will resume relations with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua: “ideology does not interest us”

Lula da Silva’s government will immediately resume full relations not only with Venezuela, but also with Nicaragua and with Cubafuture chancellor Mauro Vieira said.

“We are not interested in ideology… We will reactivate diplomatic relations with Venezuela, normalize relations with Cuba and maintain relations with Nicaragua and other Central American and Caribbean countries,” he said.

In an interview with a group of regional newspapers, including or globe of Brazil, the official who served as ambassador to the United States and Argentina, also highlighted Brazil’s critical stance over former President Pedro Castillo’s failed coup in Peru, which, according to Lula da Silva, It was “removed by law”. In relation to Ukraine, he said he shared Russia’s condemnation of the war.

“Brazil is back for everyone. We are a country present throughout the world, with embassies, which has established diplomatic relations with all UN countries, one of the few which has relations with all countries. We think you just have to listen and listen, diversity has to be accepted,” he said about the region, in the version published by the newspaper Village from Montevideo.

When asked if this relationship with undemocratic regimes will include convictions for human rights violations, he stressed that “we have to see in every country that things have changed. The world evolves, it is no longer the same, you have to examine and see what the circumstances are. But turning away and not speaking goes against the very concept of diplomacy.”

On the Peruvian crisis, he underlined that “the president has released a note in which the position is very clear. All that is done in accordance with domestic legislation, with respect for legislation and human rightsWe don’t have to agree or disagree.”

“It is an application of the legislation. President Lula’s note also preceded the Brazilian government’s note, and I think that is clear there. There is nothing else to say or interpret,” he stressed.

Outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro has not maintained relations with those nations and in general has not shown a strong diplomatic dynamic with the rest of Latin America. Lula denounced that this is how he left Brazil isolated and without international prestige.

South American integration​

“From the point of view of Brazilian foreign policy – said Vieira- the great sign will be to continue with the policies of South American integration, of rapprochement, it is, among other things, a constitutional precept. Let’s move on with that and go deeper,” he said later.

He added that “in the same way as rapprochement with Latin America as a whole. Relations with developed blocs and countries, the main partners of Brazil, the United States, the European Union and China”.

Vieira, who was chancellor of PT Dilma Rousseff’s brief second government, which was overthrown by impeachment, said in relation to the brutal war in Europe that “Brazil criticized and condemned the (Russian invasion of Ukraine)”.

“The Constitution says that we must evaluate and seek a peaceful solution to conflicts; this (the invasion) is obviously against the UN Charter, it has been condemned and will be,” he said.

However, he clarified that, unlike the countries of the global north, Brazil will not adopt sanctions against the Kremlin for the attack on Ukraine. “We do not adopt sanctions that are not approved by the Security Council. Otherwise they are illegal. We don’t adopt any,” she said.

As for the United States, also the subject of a very cold relationship from Bolsonaro, an ally and admirer of Donald Trump, Vieira underlined his confidence that the relationship with Washington will enter a stalemate “new era”.

“President Joe Biden had invited (Lula) to the United States. He couldn’t go as president-elect, there was no time, but he will in January or February. There is also an invitation for a state visit to China,” he said.

“It’s a great start to this third term which begins by seeing Brazil’s two biggest trading partners and two biggest powers. We’ve already had so many state visits to the US, but this will be the start of a new era. It will be a different relationship (from the one adopted by Bolsonaro),” he explained.

Brasilia. With own information and from agencies