Minister Assures Brazil Will Have no Military Intervention in Venezuela

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Defense Minister said yesterday that the crisis in Venezuela is “an issue that must be closely monitored” and that Brazil must face this situation under the constitutional principles of “non-intervention”.

Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva’s statements were delivered during the XVI International Security Conference of the Copacabana Fort, where he called on Venezuela to reach a peaceful solution.

During his speech, the minister was emphatic in stating that Brazil must address Venezuela’s problem “under the precepts of the political constitution of respect for human rights, the principle of non-intervention and the peaceful solution of conflicts”.

According to Azevedo, the economic, political and social crisis Venezuela is experiencing has mainly led to a migration issue to Brazil, which daily takes in between 500 and 700 people from the neighboring country through the border.

In this regard, he emphasized the actions taken by the government to help Venezuelans coming into Brazil, mainly through the “Operation Shelter” program. The project started some two years ago by then-President Michel Temer, helped approximately 20,000 Venezuelans enter the country and fostered their integration.

According to Azevedo, Operation Shelter was praised by multilateral organizations, including the UN. In recent months, however, the program has been criticized for alleged over-invoicing of expenses, undermining the transparency of its administration.

When challenged on the subject, the minister said only that the facts will be examined.

The mass influx of Venezuelans to Brazil began in late 2017. Since then, according to government data, some 100,000 Venezuelans have entered Brazilian territory through Pacaraima, a border municipality in the state of Roraima that has become, in recent years, the gateway for those fleeing the Venezuelan crisis.