Lula and Delcy Rodríguez agree to relaunch relations between Brazil and Venezuela

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, agreed on Wednesday to relaunch relations between their two countries, in their first in-person meeting since Rodríguez took over Venezuela’s executive branch in January.

The meeting took place in Antalya, Turkey, on the sidelines of COP31, the UN climate conference. According to the Brazilian government, both leaders expressed their willingness to fully resume the bilateral relationship “at the highest level” and to deepen talks on cooperation.

Trade and oil were at the center of the dialogue. Lula raised continuing negotiations to revise Economic Complementation Agreement No. 69 and the tariffs Venezuela applies to Brazilian-made cars, while Rodríguez proposed that a Brazilian negotiating delegation travel to Caracas. They also discussed expanding Brazilian investment in Venezuela’s oil sector.

As a concrete outcome, they agreed that Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira will visit Venezuela before the end of the year. The relationship had deteriorated after Venezuela’s July 2024 elections, when Lula questioned the failure to publish the vote tallies and Brazil did not recognize the announced results.

Photo: Caracol Radio

Source: Caracol Radio