CARACAS (AP) — President Nicolás Maduro’s government rejected on Thursday Brazil’s decision to prevent Venezuela from joining the BRICS group as a member. For years, the South American country has been seeking, unsuccessfully, to join this group of developing economies.
Maduro participated in the BRICS summit this week as a guest of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The summit took place between Tuesday and Thursday in the city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, in Russia.
What did Venezuela say about Brazil's decision?
In a statement, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry stated that through an action that "contradicts the nature and principles of BRICS," the representation of the Brazilian government in Kazan "decided to maintain the veto" that, it claims, then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a fierce critic of Maduro, applied to Venezuela for years.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva canceled his trip to the BRICS summit last Sunday after suffering a domestic accident that left him with a cut on the back of his neck. In his place, Brazil was represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
The veto is "reproducing the hatred, exclusion, and intolerance promoted from Western power centers to prevent, for now, the entry of the homeland" into that organization, the document stated.
"This is an action that constitutes an aggression against Venezuela and a hostile gesture that adds to the criminal policy of sanctions that have been imposed against a people," the statement added, highlighting that Venezuela "has had the support and backing of the countries participating in this summit for the formalization of its entry into this integration mechanism."
The foreign policy advisor to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Celso Amorín, stated in a declaration to the Brazilian branch of CNN that the Brazilian government would not push for Venezuela's entry into the BRICS. "I believe we need to proceed cautiously" when expanding the bloc. The entry of new members is approved by consensus.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It is an acronym used to refer to the group of emerging economies that are seen as having significant influence on the global stage.
The BRICS alliance was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. Recently, it has experienced an expansion, and currently includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have officially requested to join, and several other countries have shown interest in entering.
The relations between the governments of Caracas and Brasilia became strained after the controversial elections on July 28th that both Maduro and the opposition claim to have won.
The electoral authority, mostly pro-government, stated that Maduro received 6.4 million votes, compared to the 5.3 million votes obtained by the opposition candidate at the time, Edmundo González. However, the opposition claims that 83.5% of the records in their possession - copies collected by their witnesses at the polling stations - would give González a 2 to 1 victory over the Venezuelan president.
International observer organizations questioned the independence and impartiality of the electoral authority and the Supreme Court, which endorsed the outcome after conducting a formal assessment requested by Maduro.
Maduro, meanwhile, has defied requests from the United States, the European Union, and even left-wing allies such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico to publish the voting records that support that claim.
At a press conference following the closure of the Summit, Putin expressed that "our positions do not coincide with Brazil on the issue of Venezuela, I say this openly. We discussed it over the phone the day before yesterday with the President of Brazil, with whom I have very good and friendly relations."