Brazil President-elect Lula to restart diplomatic relations with Venezuela

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s future foreign relations minister on Wednesday said President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has asked him to restore relations with Venezuela once he is inaugurated on Jan. 1.

Mauro Vieira said a diplomatic mission will be sent to Caracas at the beginning of January to organize the official Brazilian residence before an ambassador is appointed and approved by Congress.

Diplomatic relations were broken in 2020 by the current rightist government of Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro also signed a decree in 2019 banning the entry of the top officials of leftist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s administration into Brazil, including Maduro himself.

Vieira stressed during a news conference that Lula’s administration will recognize the “elected government” of Maduro in Venezuela, and not the self-declared presidency of opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Guaido’s ambassador to Brazil, Maria Teresa Belandria – who Bolsonaro recognized as Venezuela’s representative in Brazil – is already preparing to leave Brazil before Lula is sworn in.

Brazil’s incoming government is currently trying to clear Maduro’s entry into the country for Lula’s inauguration.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Alistair Bell)