Armed conflict in Venezuela would be humanitarian catastrophe, Brazil’s Lula warns

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FOZ DO IGUAÇU, Brazil: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned on Saturday (Dec 20) that any US military action in Venezuela would trigger a “humanitarian catastrophe,” as he opened a summit of the South American Mercosur bloc amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.

Lula’s remarks come after US President Donald Trump declined to rule out the possibility of war with Venezuela and as the United States has stepped up its military presence in the Caribbean, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking. Venezuela’s leftist leader Nicolas Maduro has accused Washington of using the campaign as a pretext for regime change.

“An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world,” Lula said, speaking in the southern Brazilian city of Foz do Iguacu. He added that South America was once again being “haunted by the military presence” of a foreign power, drawing a parallel with the 1982 Falklands war between Britain and Argentina.

TENSIONS RISE WITH US MILITARY BUILDUP

The United States has increased deployments in the Caribbean in recent months and carried out air strikes against vessels it says were involved in narcotics trafficking in the region and the Pacific. Washington says the operations are aimed at curbing the drug trade, while Caracas insists they are part of a broader attempt to destabilise Maduro’s government.

In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump was asked whether war with Venezuela was possible. “I don’t rule it out, no,” he replied.

Lula said he was “very worried” about the growing crisis on Brazil’s northern border and repeated his offer to help mediate. The 80-year-old president said he had urged Trump to pursue dialogue rather than military action.

“I told him that things wouldn’t be resolved by shooting, that it was better to sit down around a table to find a solution,” Lula said.

HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS

At least 104 people have been killed in US strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, according to figures cited by Brazilian officials, though Washington has yet to provide evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying narcotics.

The US government has accused Maduro of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” an allegation he strongly denies. Trump has also announced a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers arriving in or departing from Venezuela, further tightening pressure on the country’s economy.

Lula warned that further escalation could have devastating consequences not only for Venezuela but for the wider region, calling for restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent conflict.

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