Brazil and Venezuela seek Intelligence collaboration amid concerns

After the recent visit of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a joint declaration outlined several objectives to rekindle the relationship between the two nations.

Among the proposals is an aim to intensify the coordination between their intelligence agencies and enhance information networks.

This commitment has sparked apprehension, given the controversial track record of Venezuela’s intelligence services under Chavismo, including allegations of interference in Colombia.

Former Colombian President Iván Duque claimed that Maduro was exploiting the renewed ties with Bogotá, under the new leadership of Gustavo Petro, to acquire classified information and apply political pressure.

Duque expressed his concerns, suggesting that the so-called intelligence cooperation between Colombia’s National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) and Venezuela’s intelligence was essentially enabling Venezuelan espionage within Colombia.

He also noted that the Venezuelan regime was keen on understanding the historical operations of Colombian intelligence in collaboration with the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations.

The former Colombian president highlighted that Venezuela was initiating investigations against generals who combated terrorism in Colombia, and hosting terrorist groups protected by Maduro within Venezuelan borders.

The Brazilian-Venezuelan intelligence partnership also raises questions due to Venezuela’s close ties with another dictatorship: Cuba.

According to Venezuelan General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, Cuban influence is pronounced within Venezuela’s military, intelligence, and counterintelligence.

Figuera disclosed that Cuban officials are stationed in several sensitive Venezuelan departments including the Foreign Ministry, Sebin, and the oil company PDVSA.

Moreover, Venezuelan intelligence is known to maintain connections with Iran, a significant adversary of the West. A 2020 report by the U.S. think tank, Atlantic Council, identified relationships between key Venezuelan figures and Hezbollah, a Lebanese fundamentalist group supported by Tehran.

Adding to these apprehensions, the United Nations’ Investigative Mission on Venezuela identified that SEBIN and DGCIM, two Venezuelan intelligence agencies, are used by Maduro’s regime to suppress dissent, resulting in grave human rights violations.

Given this history, Brazil’s intent to share information and establish partnerships with Venezuelan intelligence services has raised eyebrows.

The exact parameters of this cooperation, as well as the specifics of the information to be shared, remain unclear.

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