Brazil sends a mission to Venezuela to begin reopening the embassyBrazil sends a mission to Venezuela to begin reopening the embassy

The federal government will send a mission to Venezuela this week to begin the reopening of the Brazilian embassy in Caracas, Itamaraty told AFP on Sunday (15).

The mission from the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leaves this week and will be led by diplomat Flavio Macieira, former ambassador to Norway, Panama, and Nicaragua, the Foreign Ministry’s press office said.

The main objective of the visit will be to assess the state of three buildings in Caracas – the Brazilian embassy, the ambassador’s residence and the consulate – closed for more than two years during Jair Bolsonaro’s government.

The order is that they be reopened as soon as possible, according to the official. Before that, “we have to see the legal, logistical and local staffing issues,” he explained.

“Relations between the capitals have been re-established since January 1, but this operational part is missing.”

Macieira will act as Brazil’s chargé d’affaires in Venezuela until a new ambassador is appointed, the Itamaraty official said.

Jair Bolsonaro was one of more than 50 leaders who recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s “interim president” in 2019, distancing himself from Nicolás Maduro, successor to the late leftist leader Hugo Chávez.

Then, in March 2020, he ordered the withdrawal of all his Brazilian diplomats and officials from Venezuela.

With Lula’s return to power, Brazil must change its tune with Maduro, who congratulated the Petista’s victory on October 30 against Bolsonaro.

The Brazilian mission, composed of about five people, has not defined a duration or agenda for meetings with authorities in Caracas. The evaluation of a possible visit by Lula to Venezuela is also not planned at the moment.

During the Bolsonaro government, the Foreign Ministry gave diplomatic credentials to a Guaidó deputy, María Teresa Belandria, who left Brazil in December.

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