“These acts represent a grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community,” Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on social media.
Lula, who said attacking countries was “the first step towards a world of violence, chaos and instability”, also urged the international community to “respond vigorously to this episode”.
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The statement laid bare Brasilia’s deep unease over Washington’s actions in the region, with diplomatic observers suggesting the episode could place the Latin American country in an increasingly “uncomfortable position”.
Brazil would seek to push back against the Donald Trump administration’s expanding regional ambitions amid the possibility of its ties with the US deteriorating, the analysts said. At the same time, Brasilia’s relationship with Beijing could gain fresh momentum as the two seek closer cooperation and support.
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Rafael Ioris, professor of Latin American history and politics at the University of Denver, said the Brazilian government was alarmed because it deemed the intervention a breach of principles that Brazil had historically stood for, including sovereignty, self-determination and respect for international law.
