Defense Minister José Múcio Monteiro said on Monday that “in no circumstances” will Brazil allow troops from Venezuela to enter its territory in order to invade Guyana.
“They will only arrive in Guyana by passing through Brazilian territory, and we will not allow that under any circumstances,” Mr. Monteiro told a press conference at the Navy headquarters in Brasília.
Earlier this month, Venezuela held a non-binding referendum for citizens to decide whether the country should claim sovereignty over Essequibo, a vast mineral-rich area that makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.
All Venezuelans over the age of 18 were eligible to vote. While voter turnout was low — and election results in Venezuela must be taken with a grain of salt — 95 percent of respondents voted in favor of the government claiming sovereignty over its neighbor’s territory.
Following the results, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela ordered the “immediate” exploitation of natural resources in the region — and presented a new map of his country, including Essequibo within its borders.
Mr. Monteiro condemned Mr. Maduro’s “political maneuver.”
“Brazil will not get involved under any circumstances” in the conflict, Mr. Monteiro added.
The Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration’s position on Venezuela’s claim of Essequibo is similar to its stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. Rather than identifying the unilateral aggressor and calling it to refrain from conflict, the president instead chose to hold both parties equally responsible for finding a peaceful solution.
Mr. Maduro is to meet his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali, on Thursday in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — the country that currently holds the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
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