Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was welcomed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday, marking Maduro’s first visit to Brazil since 2015.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in Brasilia on Sunday in preparation for a Latin American meeting on Tuesday.
Diplomatic ties between Venezuela and the South American giant have deteriorated substantially since Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019. Bolsonaro signed an order barring Maduro from entering the nation and backed self-proclaimed opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Following Lula’s victory in the 2022 elections, the diplomatic stance to Venezuela has shifted dramatically. Lula sent an invitation to Maduro to attend his inauguration in January 2023, thereby eliminating Maduro’s embargo.
President Lula rushed to Twitter to express his excitement for Maduro’s arrival, calling it a historic occasion. He stated a desire to resume diplomatic and trade contacts with the Venezuelan administration.
“Our commercial relationship once had a 6 billion dollar flow.” It is now 2 billion. This is detrimental for both Venezuela and Brazil. But our partnership may also be cultural, commercial, in the interchange of research and technology, and in the fight against drug trafficking on our borders,” Lula added.
Maduro, for his part, praised the restoration of the nations’ bilateral ties.
“My meeting with President @LulaOficial is a historic, transcendental fact and a victory for our peoples’ dignity.” The rescue and revitalization of the Brazilian-Venezuelan union is the proper road that will take us to the growth and integration of the Great Homeland,” Maduro tweeted.
The South American Leaders Summit will be place Tuesday at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia. Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela have all confirmed their participation.