Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned on Saturday that any armed intervention in Venezuela would amount to a humanitarian catastrophe, as tensions rise following new measures by the United States aimed at increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
The warning came days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered what Washington described as a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, targeting the country’s primary source of revenue. The move marked a sharp escalation in U.S. efforts to isolate Maduro and curb Venezuela’s oil exports.
Speaking during a summit of the South American Mercosur trade bloc in the southern Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, Lula said military action against Venezuela would set a dangerous global precedent. He cautioned that such an approach would revive memories of past conflicts in the region and undermine South America’s long-standing efforts to avoid external military interference.
Lula drew a parallel to the 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and Britain, saying that more than four decades later the continent was once again facing the specter of military involvement by an extra-regional power. His remarks went further than earlier calls for restraint issued jointly this week with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, whose country, like Brazil, is one of Latin America’s largest economies.
Regional leaders used the Mercosur summit to reinforce a collective stance against escalation. In a joint declaration issued after the meeting, presidents and senior officials from across Latin America reaffirmed their commitment to defending democracy and human rights in Venezuela through peaceful and diplomatic means rather than force.
The statement was endorsed by the presidents of Argentina, Paraguay and Panama, along with high-level representatives from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Together, they emphasized dialogue and regional cooperation as the preferred path forward amid growing international pressure on Caracas.
