Venezuela Won’t Be Silenced: Maduro criticises Brazil’s veto on BRICS membership

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro responded strongly to Brazil’s veto of his country’s bid to join the BRICS group, calling the decision a “hostile” and “immoral” act. Brazil’s action took place at a summit in Kazan, Russia, earlier this week, halting Venezuela’s ambitions to join the bloc of emerging economies, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with new members Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the UAE.

Speaking on state television upon his return from Kazan, Maduro vowed that “no one will block or silence Venezuela,” without explicitly naming Brazil. The Venezuelan leader, who has faced ongoing economic challenges and U.S. sanctions, has been eager to join BRICS as a pathway toward bolstering his country’s international standing and economic stability.

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The veto has added strain to Maduro’s relationship with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former ally. Tensions between the two escalated following Maduro’s contested re-election in July, which the Venezuelan opposition claims to have won. Brazil’s former foreign minister, Celso Amorim, attributed the veto to a “breach of confidence,” saying that Maduro had failed to deliver on his promise to release detailed election results.

Maduro asserted that he met with representatives from nearly 30 countries at the summit and received widespread support, despite the opposition’s claims that the true election results favored candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who has since fled to Spain.

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