MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula discusses Venezuela with Carney and Scheinbaum

The three leaders warned against the return of “outdated zones of influence” in the Western Hemisphere

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held separate telephone conferences on Thursday to discuss the ongoing events in Venezuela with his Mexican colleague Claudia Scheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

In a coordinated diplomatic display, the three leaders issued a stern warning against the return of “outdated zones of influence” in the Western Hemisphere, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

The calls represent a growing international effort to prioritize international law over the unilateral “Peace Through Strength” policy undertaken by Washington's Republican administration.

In his first major foreign policy engagement regarding the crisis, Carney joined President Lula in calling for a “peaceful, negotiated, and Venezuelan-led transition process.” Both leaders explicitly condemned the use of military force without the authorization of the UN Charter.

The Brazilian president reiterated that Washington’s actions crossed an “unacceptable line,” emphasizing that South America must remain a “zone of peace.”

While Carney described Maduro’s removal as “welcome news,” he notably withheld praise for the US raid, instead aligning with Lula to advocate for global governance reform.

Furthermore, Lula and Carney discussed accelerating the Mercosur-Canada trade agreement. Carney has accepted an invitation to visit Brazil in April to deepen these economic ties, particularly when the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU) appears to be hours away from blowing up in smoke.

In the other call, Lula and Sheinbaum took a more confrontational stance against the White House's rhetoric. “The two leaders rejected any vision that could imply an outdated division of the world into zones of influence,” the Brazilian Social Communication Secretariat (Secom) stated.

Mexico and Brazil jointly repudiated the “attacks against Venezuelan sovereignty” and Maduro's abduction to stand trial. Additionally, the two Latin American governments reaffirmed their commitment to international law and free trade as the only legitimate mechanisms for regional stability.

Beyond the crisis, both presidents agreed to establish a new bilateral cooperation focused on combating violence against women.