Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvo warned on Saturday against US military action in Venezuela, saying such a move would lead to a “humanitarian catastrophe”.
He made the comments at the summit of the five-member South American economic bloc Mercosur, which was being held in Iguaçu Falls in southern Brazil.
At the same summit, Argentine President Javier Meili praised Washington’s efforts to pressure Caracas.
Venezuela was suspended from the bloc in 2016.
What did Lula and Miley say about US intervention in Venezuela?
Brazil’s leftist president warned that there would be negative consequences for the US if it got involved in a military operation in Venezuela.
“Armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian disaster for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world,” Lula said in opening remarks to the Mercosur summit.
Meanwhile, Miley, who is a close ally of US President Donald Trump and a strong supporter of austerity and free market reforms, praised Washington’s approach towards Caracas.
The Argentine President, who attended the summit, said, “Argentina welcomes the pressure from the United States and Donald Trump to free the Venezuelan people. The time for a timid approach to this matter is over.”
What is the US campaign against Venezuela?
The United States has been engaged in a months-long campaign in the Caribbean to destroy Venezuelan boats it accuses of drug trafficking.
At least 90 people have been killed in the attacks.
The US government, without providing any evidence, has accused the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of having ties to the Cartel de los Sols criminal organization.
Earlier this week, Trump ordered a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. He has also suggested that they could begin targeting sites in Venezuela with air strikes.
Lula urges EU to sign Mercosur agreement
In his comments at the Mercosur summit, Lula also called on the EU to show “courage” and sign a trade deal with the South American bloc.
“Without political will and courage on the part of leaders, it will not be possible to conclude the negotiations that have lasted 26 years,” Lula said.
“We have an opportunity on our hands to send an important message to the world in defense of multilateralism and strengthen our strategic position in an increasingly competitive global environment,” he said.
The deal has been opposed by groups representing European farmers, particularly in France and Italy, who argue that the bloc’s agricultural sector would be exposed to unfair competition.
On Thursday, the EU delayed until January the signing of a free trade agreement with Mercosur.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko