The Brazilian president criticized the U.S. intervention in Venezuela and called for elections so citizens can decide who should hold the presidency.
The Daily Journal.- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Monday that the United States treats Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez as if it were her boss, criticizing Washington’s intervention in the country following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
“Because, judging by the way the United States treats Delcy, it seems as though it is her boss,” Lula said in an interview with CNN International in New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
The Brazilian leader described U.S. actions in Venezuela as “very serious” and warned that the intervention had brought an end to the country’s sovereignty.
“The country’s sovereignty is gone. That is not good for the United States, it is not good for Venezuela, and it is not good for democracy,” he stated.
Lula argued that Rodríguez, who served as Maduro’s vice president and currently holds the interim presidency, should call elections so Venezuelans can decide who should lead the country.
Rodríguez arrived in New York on Monday to attend the UN General Assembly and is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. According to information released about the visit, the meeting will mark their first encounter since a U.S. military operation led to Maduro’s capture and removal from power.
The meeting will take place just a few kilometers from the prison where U.S. authorities are holding the former Venezuelan leader on drug trafficking charges, and weeks after the controversial agreement under which Venezuela ceded part of its oil reserves to Washington.
During the interview, Lula did not defend Maduro against the charges he faces in the United States. However, he maintained that authorities should investigate and prosecute the former president if he committed crimes, while questioning whether one country has the right to accuse and forcibly remove the leader of another sovereign state.
The Brazilian president also stated that voters elected Trump to govern the United States, not to impose his will on other countries.
In that regard, he urged the White House to refrain from interfering in Brazil’s elections, scheduled for October 4.
