Recent decisions by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to expel United Nations (UN) officials from the country and to arrest lawyer and activist Rocío San Miguel have led Brazilian opposition lawmakers to demand a stance from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). This is because Lula supports the Venezuelan leader and even stated that “narratives” have been created and that the concept of democracy is “relative” while defending his counterpart, and welcomed him with honors in Brasília last year.
Senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MS), the party leader in the Senate, made the harshest criticism and considered Maduro’s decision as “another cowardly arbitrariness against women”. She stated that the Venezuelan leader “expelled those who denounced his criminal act”, referring to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights questioning Rocío’s arrest. The organization denounced, in July of last year, the persecution and torture of hundreds of opponents in addition to censorship of the media.
“This is the ‘relative democracy’, in Lula’s definition, that Maduro imposes on the suffering Venezuelan people. The Lula 3 government, which rolled out the red carpet for Maduro and did not demand his billion-dollar debt to Brazil, will once again opt for the omission of silence,” the senator questioned.
Federal Deputy Bia Kicis (PL-DF) questioned on social media, “Does it remind you of any other country?” due to the imprisonment of opponents of the regime, and posted an image of Lula with Maduro.
Kim Kataguiri (União-SP) was more severe and stated that Lula’s lack of a position is “shameful” and shows a “promiscuous relationship” between the president and the “Venezuelan dictator.” “Lula places his personal friendship with an authoritarian and bloodthirsty dictator above Brazil’s interests. For him, when it’s an ally, it’s allowed to arrest, kill, and torture,” he concluded.
Eduardo Ribeiro, president of the Novo party, highlighted that countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay “signed a joint note criticizing the Venezuelan government and demanding the immediate release of Rocío,” while “Brazil? So be it.” “The ‘democrats’ and defenders of human rights will remain silent in the face of yet another omission by the Lula government,” he concluded.
The Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL) also questioned the government’s silence, asking “where is Silvio Almeida [Minister of Human Rights]? Where is the statement from the love folks?”
On Thursday (15), the Venezuelan government announced the suspension of activities of the local technical advisory office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, ordering its staff to leave the country within 72 hours. The regime of Nicolás Maduro justified this by stating that the office had “interfered in internal matters” after questioning the disappearance and subsequent arrest of lawyer and activist Rocío San Miguel, who was presented in court without the right to private legal representation.
Foreign Minister Yván Gil accused the High Commissioner’s office of acting as “a sounding board for the extreme right-wing opposition in Venezuela” and of “just protecting the people who tried to subvert the constitutional order and create violence in Venezuela.” He stated that the staff have 72 hours to leave the country and that the Venezuelan government will “review” the office’s cooperation mechanisms in the next 30 days.
