Lula’s Support of Maduro Clouds Summit of South American Leaders

Chile, Uruguay leaders blast Lula’s defense of Venezuelan
Meeting was meant to foster improved regional cooperation

Bolivia’s Luis Arce, from left, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, and Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the South America Summit in Brasilia Photographer: Ton Molina/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Simone Iglesias, Daniel Carvalho, and Matthew Malinowski

May 31, 2023 at 12:06 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s support of his Venezuelan counterpart cast a shadow over Tuesday’s summit of South American leaders, where the Brazilian leader sought to promote regional economic integration.

Lula on Monday defended Nicolas Maduro during the Venezuelan leader’s first visit to Brazil since 2015, saying that a “narrative of anti-democracy and authoritarianism” had been created to attack him.