Presidents Lula and Maduro enhance resumption of bilateral relations between Brazil and Venezuela

“We’re in a hurry to resume relations with Venezuela and with all of South America. Our ministers have to talk more; businesspersons from both countries have to talk more; our universities should talk more about science and technology. Brazilian businesspersons must go back to investing in Venezuela and South America, reestablishing the auspicious cooperation mechanisms we used to have.”

With this message – spoken in the presence of ministerial delegations from both countries –, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro today (29) at the Planalto Palace, in Brasília.

We’re in a hurry to resume relations with Venezuela and with all of South America. Our ministers have to talk more; businesspersons from both countries have to talk more; our universities should talk more about science and technology”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil

The meeting in Brasilia enhances resumption of diplomatic relations with the neighboring country – interrupted during the past administration –, as part of a process that includes reopening embassies and consular sectors and the recent appointment of the Ambassador of Venezuela to Brazil.

REOPENING WINDOWS – Nicolás Maduro recalled that the closing of doors by Brazil over recent years had hindered the unfolding of diplomatic and commercial issues between the countries. Now, he stressed, Venezuela is prepared for investments in oil, gas and petrochemicals, in line with its large reserves and with its agriculture and industry.

Maduro also mentioned his concern about deforestation and illegal mining in the Amazon. The president of Venezuela highlighted his government’s good relations with the chambers of commerce and agreed that a major bilateral cooperation plan with Brazil must be reestablished.

Following talks between Lula and Maduro, an expanded meeting was held with ministers and ambassadors from both countries and first ladies Janja Lula da Silva and Cilia Flores de Maduro. The agenda with Nicolás Maduro also included a press conference and a lunch in honor of the president of  Venezuela and his wife.

“We’d taken Embrapa, ABDI, and Caixa Econômica, among others, to Venezuela – and all that ended because we had a government that considered Venezuela an enemy,” observed Lula. The president also spoke about the importance of Brazil assuming the presidency of the G20 in December and holding the group’s meeting next year, and highlighted plans for the Amazon Summit, in August, and the 2025 UN Climate Conference in Belém.

Lula highlighted that control of crimes across borders and within Yanomami indigenous lands is urgent. “If we don’t have the political courage to do the right thing, we’ll end up at the end of the century with the same economic and social problems we started off with,” he said.

AN EXTENSIVE AGENDA – Brazil’s Vice-President and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services Geraldo Alckmin spoke about the need to resume relations in the field of ​​trade and investment, while Minister of Finance Fernando Haddad stressed the importance of economic complementarity and resumption of integration between the two countries. Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva highlighted the dialogue in favor of the preservation of the Amazon that Brazil and Venezuela both share, as well as the protection of Yanomami lands.

The results of a recent multidisciplinary mission to Caracas – organized by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (Agência Brasileira de Cooperação) alongside representatives from over 20 Brazilian government agencies – was also discussed.

BILATERAL TRADE – To Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, resumption of normal diplomatic relations, dialogue and cooperation with Venezuela – alongside new integration efforts in South America – reinforce Brazil’s new diplomatic stance. “Two bordering countries cannot refrain from dialogue,” he said.

Bilateral trade between Brazil and Venezuela added up to around US$1.7 billion in 2022; Brazil exported US$1.3 billion and imported almost US$400 million. Trade was US$ 6 billion in 2013, demonstrating the potential of the relationship and the importance of the meeting to resume economic partnerships.

SOUTH AMERICAN PRESIDENTS – The meeting with Nicolás Maduro is part of President Lula’s extensive diplomatic agenda this week. Tomorrow (30), the Brazilian leader will receive ten presidents from South America and a representative of the Peruvian government for a meeting at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília.

The main goal of the event is to resume cooperation within the continent, particularly with regard to health, infrastructure, energy, the environment and combating organized crime.

Presidents Alberto Fernández (Argentina), Luís Arce (Bolivia), Gabriel Boric (Chile), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador), Irfaan Ali (Guyana), Mário Abdo Benítez (Paraguay), Chan Santokhi (Suriname), Luis Lacalle Pou (Uruguay) and Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela) will all attend. Current President of Peru Dina Boluarte will be represented by the president of the Council of Ministers Alberto Otárola.

The following took part in the expanded Brazil-Venezuela meeting today:

On the Brazilian side:
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
- First Lady Janja Lula da Silva
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira
- Minister of Finance Fernando Haddad
- Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Carlos Fávaro
- Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira
- Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Luciana Santos
- Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva
- Ambassador Celso Amorim, Special Advisor

On the Venezuelan side:
- President Nicolas Maduro
- First Lady Cilia Flores de Maduro
- Executive Vice President Delcy Eloina Rodríguez Gómez
- Chancellor of Venezuela Yvan Eduardo Gil Pinto
- Minister of Presidential Dispatch Jorge Elieser Márquez Monsalve
- Minister of Communications Freddy Alfred Nazaret Ñáñez Contreras
- Minister of Petroleum Pedro Rafael Tellechea Ruiz
- Minister of Agriculture and Lands Wilmar Alfredo Castro Soteldo
- Minister of Ecosocialism Josue Alejandro Lorca Veja
- Minister of Science and Technology Gabriela Servilia Jimenez
- Ambassador of Venezuela to Brazil Manuel Vicente Vadell Aquino