Lima Group Does not Support Military Intervention in Venezuela- Brazil’s Vice President

BOGOTA- The Lima Group countries do not support a military intervention in Venezuela, Brazilian Vice President Antonio Hamilton Mourao said on Monday, according to Itar Tass.

“No one [in the Lima Group] supports a military solution to the situation [in Venezuela],” Mourao said.

The Brazilian vice president noted that “it is necessary to look for other ways to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela.”

Brazil has no intention of allowing the United States to use its territory for a military operation against the Venezuelan government, Mourao stressed.

 “This requires the authorization of the National Congress [Brazil’s parliament]. The [Brazilian] government cannot do that [without consultations with the parliament]. The majority in the government is against [the use of Brazil’s territory by American troops],” he noted.

He stressed that Brazil would do its utmost to make sure that the Venezuelan crisis is resolved by diplomatic means.

On January 23 Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the country’s acting president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described it as a coup attempt and announced severing diplomatic relations with the United States. On January 28 the US imposed sancitons on Venezuela’s state-owned PDVSA oil company.

Guaido was recognized as interim president by the Lima Group countries (except for Mexico), as well as by Albania, Georgia, the United States, and the Organization of American States. Several EU countries came forward with support for the Venezuelan parliament and expressed hope for new elections to resolve the crisis. Maduro was supported by Russia, Bolivia, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Turkey. Belarus and China called for resolving all issues by peaceful means and spoke against any interference from the outside. The UN secretary general called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.

H.M