Chilean President Gabriel Boric also questioned Lula about Venezuela: “It’s not a narrative, but a serious reality”

The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, indicated in Brasilia that the situation in Venezuela “it is not a construction of a narrative” but “a serious reality”arriving at the crossroads of the statements of his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who yesterday relaunched bilateral relations with President Nicolás Maduro.

Lula’s rapprochement with Maduro on Monday at the Planalto Palace set the tone for today’s South American summit, with which the Brazilian is trying to relaunch Unasur, to which seven of the 12 countries in the region belong.

During his participation in the summit, Boric celebrated Maduro’s return to regional forums, but made it clear that Chile will continue to assert its position on human rights in Venezuela.

“It is the first opportunity we have to share space with Maduro and we are happy that Venezuela returns and it is in this honest and direct space that we solve problems, which does not mean turning a blind eye to problems. There is a discrepancy in President Lula’s statements, it is not a construction of a narrative, it is a serious reality and I have seen it in the eyes of the Venezuelans who have come to our country,” he told reporters during a break in the meeting.

Human rights

Boric assured this human rights “should always be respected and in all forums regardless of the political color of the ruler in power” “As left-wing president, it was important to confront him head-on with Maduro for the first time in an international forum, but we also call on the United States and the European Union to end sanctions, which weaken people and not governments,” he said.

Boric said Maduro’s return to regional forums does not mean “sweeping human rights issues under the carpet” in Venezuela.

He further stated this supported Lula in setting up a South American forumeven if he assured that today no conclusions can be drawn on the possible return of Chile to Unasur.

The Uruguayan Luis Lacalle Pou expressed himself shortly before in the same tone, criticizing the tone in which Lula welcomed Maduro back to Palazzo Planalto, after eight years of estrangement between Caracas and Brasilia.

The Uruguayan president vehemently rejected the statements Lula made yesterday when he received his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, when he assured that “a narrative has been constructed about Venezuela”.

Surprise

“I was surprised when it was said that what is happening in Venezuela is a narrative. You already know what we think about Venezuela and the government of Venezuela. Now, if there are so many groups in the world trying to mediate for full democracy in Venezuela (…) the worst thing we can do is cover the sun with a finger. Let’s put the name he has and help, ”she said.

The summit was not shown publicly. Only Lula’s opening speech was broadcast and the rest, by decision of the Brazilian government, were not broadcast, trying to make it a day of honest reflection, especially since it was the first meeting of this level in eight years.