Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned that US military intervention in Venezuela would cause a "humanitarian catastrophe" and offered to mediate to prevent armed conflict. His comments follow US President Donald Trump's remark that he "doesn't rule out" war and come amid increased US military activity and strikes on vessels Washington calls drug boats. Reports say at least 104 people were killed in those strikes, though definitive public evidence of drug trafficking has not been released. Lula urged diplomacy as the safer way forward.
Lula Warns US Military Action In Venezuela Would Be A 'Humanitarian Catastrophe' — Offers To Mediate
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (C) warned about spiraling tensions between Washington and Caracas as he opened a summit of the South American Mercosur bloc (Evaristo Sa)(Evaristo Sa/AFP/AFP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned Saturday that any US military intervention in Venezuela would produce a "humanitarian catastrophe," remarks he made while opening a summit of the South American Mercosur trading bloc in Foz do Iguaçu.
Speaking amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, Lula urged diplomacy and offered to serve as a mediator to prevent armed conflict on Brazil's doorstep. His comments followed a remark by US President Donald Trump in which Trump said he "doesn't rule it out" when asked about the possibility of war.
What Lula Said
Evoking the 1982 Falklands conflict, Lula warned that the South American continent was again being "haunted by the military presence" of a foreign power. He said:
"An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world."
Context And Developments
The United States has increased its military presence in the Caribbean and has carried out air strikes on vessels Washington describes as drug boats in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Reports say at least 104 people have been killed in those strikes, though the US administration has not publicly produced definitive evidence that the targeted vessels were transporting narcotics.
Washington has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading a criminal network known as the "Cartel of the Suns," an allegation Maduro denies. The Trump administration has also announced tighter measures affecting oil tankers under sanctions that are arriving in or departing from Venezuela.
Diplomacy Or Force?
Lula, 80, said he had told President Trump that "things wouldn't be resolved by shooting, that it was better to sit down around a table to find a solution," and reiterated his willingness to help mediate a peaceful resolution. Analysts warn that any armed intervention risks massive displacement, civilian casualties and a wider regional crisis.
Bottom line: Lula is urging negotiation and regional dialogue to avert military action that he says would have grave humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.
