Lula defends Venezuela, Cuba sovereignty against foreign meddling
3 Min Read
In Brasília, Lula da Silva defends Venezuela and Cuba’s sovereignty, criticizing foreign interference in the region.
-
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during a high-profile meeting at the United Nations aimed at galvanizing support for a "two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at UN headquarters (AP)
In a sharply worded speech delivered in Brasília, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended the sovereignty of both Venezuela and Cuba, stating that no foreign leader should offer an opinion on the internal governance of those nations.
Speaking at the Communist Party of Brazil’s congress on Thursday, Lula said that Venezuelans “are owners of their destiny,” echoed a long-standing Brazilian doctrine of non-intervention, and praised the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez.
He also signaled a potential future candidacy by stating he will “possibly” run in Brazil’s 2026 election if his health permits.
Hours before Lula's statements, the Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Both sides described the talks as constructive and aimed to arrange a meeting between US President Trump and his Brazilian counterpart.
US escalates aggressions against Venezuela, kills two Trinidadians
This comes amid heightened tensions in Latin America as the United States continues to escalate its hostility and aggressive actions against Venezuela, with Trump approving CIA operations against Caracas.
On October 17, family members and local residents identified two men from Trinidad and Tobago who were among the six people killed in the latest US airstrike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela, a vessel which Washington claims was involved in drug trafficking.
In the same incident, a US official clarified to Reuters that this specific airstrike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, which Washington claims was involved in drug trafficking, left several survivors, making it the first operation in this series to have done so.
The US military has deployed Special Operations aviation assets to conduct operations in Caribbean waters, reportedly flying within 90 miles of Venezuela’s coast, as part of Washington's expanding mission to counter alleged narcotics trafficking.
A visual analysis published by The Washington Post identified MH‑6 Little Bird and MH‑60 Black Hawk helicopters conducting training flights off Trinidad’s northeast coast, flights which likely brought them close to Venezuela’s maritime zone. A US government source confirmed these flights were training efforts to maintain readiness.
Amidst this escalation of aerial operations, US officials have reported a series of at least five separate vessel strikes in international waters over recent weeks, actions aimed at suspected narcotics shipments that have resulted in twenty-seven fatalities.
Moreover, President Donald Trump also publicly confirmed his authorization for the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela.
Despite the presidential approval, there remains no confirmed information indicating that the CIA actually intends to conduct operations in Venezuela or the Caribbean, with all intelligence on this matter originating from anonymous US officials who claim familiarity with a highly classified document.
