Lula welcomes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is receiving President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro on Monday (May 29). Engagements at the Planalto presidential palace include a private meeting, an extended meeting, and a signing ceremony, followed by lunch.

Accompanied by his wife Cilia Flores, Maduro landed in Brasília on Sunday night (28) to participate in the Tuesday (30) assembly of South American presidents. On his social networks, the Venezuelan president showed gratitude for the “the warm welcome” and cited the development of a diplomatic agenda that bolsters “the union of the peoples of the continent.”

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The meeting between Lula and Maduro marks the resumption of ties between Brazil and Venezuela. The two are expected to further “normalize bilateral relations. On the agenda is the reopening of the embassies and consular sectors.

“It also provides the presidents a chance to discuss internal dialogue in Venezuela, with a view on 2024 elections,” the Foreign Ministry reported.

The Yanomami

At the meeting, the two heads of state should talk about the outcome of the recent multi-disciplinary mission to the Venezuelan capital organized by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, which included representatives from over 20 Brazilian governmental bodies. “Special attention will be given to border issues, with an emphasis on the protection of the people living in that strip—among them the Yanomami [indigenous people].”