Brazilian President Lula issued a stark warning Saturday, stating that any armed U.S. intervention in Venezuela would cause a “humanitarian catastrophe.” His declaration came during a Mercosur summit amid escalating tensions, following a U.S. order to blockade sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.
Lula, alongside other Latin American leaders, urged restraint and dialogue. He condemned the potential intervention as a “dangerous precedent for the world,” evoking the region’s history of extra-regional military conflicts like the Falklands War.
In a joint statement, the assembled leaders—including the presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, and Panama—reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the Venezuelan crisis through peaceful means while upholding democratic principles and human rights.
