BRASILIA – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has issued a blistering condemnation of the United States’ recent military offensive in Venezuela, describing the pre-dawn strikes and the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro as a violation of international legal standards that has crossed an “unacceptable line.”
In a series of official statements following the escalation on Saturday, the Brazilian leader expressed deep concern over the precedent set by Washington’s direct kinetic action in South America.
Lula warned that such manoeuvres constitute a “grave affront” to Venezuelan sovereignty and jeopardise the longstanding efforts to maintain the region as a “zone of peace.”
The military action, which the Trump administration has dubbed part of “Operation Southern Spear,” involved targeted airstrikes on Caracas and other strategic locations, allegedly resulting in the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
While the US maintains the operation was a law enforcement mission to execute outstanding warrants for narco-terrorism, Brasilia has viewed the move through a much more critical lens.
“The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line,” Lula wrote in a public address on social media. He further argued that “attacking countries in flagrant violation of international law is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability.”
The Brazilian government has called for an urgent global response, urging the international community to act through the United Nations to address the incident.
Foreign policy analysts in the region suggest that Lula’s firm stance reflects a broader anxiety among South American nations regarding the return of unilateral “big stick” diplomacy. Brazil has historically championed multilateralism and non-interventionism in its continental affairs.
Lula also highlighted that the use of force evokes “the worst moments of interference in the politics of Latin America and the Caribbean,” a reference to the Cold War-era interventions that many in the region still view with bitterness.
While leaders in Argentina have celebrated the move as a victory for liberty, the discord between South America’s two largest economies highlights a growing diplomatic rift.
As the situation in Caracas remains volatile with a declared state of emergency, Brazil has positioned itself as a potential mediator, though it remains steadfast that the US actions have severely undermined the principles of the UN Charter.
Sources: The Guardian, CBS News, Prensa Latina, Associated Press
