Brazilian government says Russia should pull out of Venezuela if it wants to keep Maduro in power

Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo said on Thursday that "Russian troops sent to Venezuela must leave if they want to keep Chavismo in power."

In an interview with Reuters, Araújo said that he hoped that Russia would recognize that supporting President Nicolás Maduro would only worsen the collapse of Venezuela's economy and society.and that the only way out of the crisis was to hold elections under an interim government headed by opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

"If his idea is to keep Maduro in power longer, it means more people will starve or flee the country, more human tragedy in Venezuela," said the Chancellor. "All that contributes to the continuation of the suffering of the Venezuelan people must be eliminated", Said Araújo during a phone interview.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Venezuela and said "all options" were open for this to happen.

For his part, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government joined a US-led coalition to provide humanitarian aid to Venezuela, said that his country's armed forces had not given him a chance. intention to intervene militarily in the neighboring country.

The arrival of two Russian air force planes outside Caracas, allegedly carrying nearly 100 Russian special agents and cybersecurity personnel, has aggravated the political crisis in Venezuela. The Kremlin said Thursday that it was "specialists" sent to Venezuela as part of a military cooperation agreement and that they had remained there.

Araújo said that the presence of Russian soldiers in Venezuela was a sign of Maduro's weakness. "If he has to bring in troops from abroad, it is clear that his own armed forces are not totally at his side and can not continue to repress the Venezuelan people," he said. declared.

Foreign Minister Araújo also said that Brazil wants to discuss the Venezuelan crisis bilaterally with Russia and China, its partners in the BRICS group of the largest emerging market economies, to convince them that the diplomatic transition in the oil producing country This could be the best for them.

While the Lima Group of Nations recognized Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, Brazil now attaches to its representatives being recognized in international organizations rather than in Maduro, said Araújo, as it is the case. Recently moved to the Inter-American Conference. Development

Despite different views of the world, Araújo said the Brazilian government is trying to cooperate in the areas of trade and many other issues with Russia and China, whose presidents will attend the BRICS summit in Brazil in November.

One of the Bolsonaro Government's top priorities is to expand agricultural exports around the world, especially to China, Brazil's largest customer. Araújo plans to visit China with Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias in May.

By Anthony Boadle (Reuters)