Brazil has convened a ministerial meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to address recent developments in Venezuela, the government said. The meeting will be held in Brasilia tomorrow at 14:00 local time and will bring together foreign ministers from across the region, Maria Laura da Rocha, deputy minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced.
Brazil CELAC meeting aims to coordinate a regional response
The decision to call a CELAC session underscores Brazil’s push for a collective regional response to what President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described as an unacceptable breach of Venezuelan sovereignty. Speaking on the social network X, Lula condemned what he called bombings by the United States on Venezuelan territory and the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro, calling those acts a serious affront to international law.
“These actions represent a grave affront to the sovereignty of Venezuela and set an extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community,” the president wrote. He warned that such use of force risks opening the door to greater violence, chaos and instability in which might makes right would supplant multilateral rules.
CELAC, which does not include the United States or Canada, was cited by Brazilian officials as an appropriate platform for regional consultation. Unlike other international forums, it is designed specifically for political coordination among Latin American and Caribbean states, shaping common positions on issues such as democracy, sovereignty, development and human rights.
Da Rocha told reporters that all countries in the region had been invited to the ministerial meeting. Officials said the gathering will seek to formulate a shared response and to explore diplomatic channels to defuse tensions, while reaffirming principles of non-intervention and peaceful dispute resolution.
During his remarks, President Lula reiterated Brazil’s long-standing rejection of unilateral military action in the region. He said condemning the use of force is consistent with Brazil’s posture in recent crises elsewhere and underscored that the preservation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace must remain a priority.
“The international community, through united action, must respond vigorously to this episode,” Lula wrote, adding that Brazil condemns the reported actions and stands ready to promote dialogue and cooperation. The government framed the meeting as both a diplomatic initiative and a signal of regional leadership at a sensitive moment.
Analysts say the CELAC meeting could produce a joint declaration calling for respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty, the immediate cessation of hostilities and the opening of humanitarian and diplomatic channels. Any agreed text would likely seek support from wider international bodies while emphasising regional responsibility for peace and stability.
Brazil’s move will be watched closely by capitals across the Americas and beyond. The urgency of the meeting reflects concerns that escalatory actions could undermine established norms and provoke wider instability. For Brasília, convening CELAC represents an effort to keep regional diplomacy front and centre and to forestall further military escalation.
Key Takeaways:
- Brazil has convened a CELAC ministerial meeting in Brasilia to address the situation in Venezuela and seek a coordinated regional stance.
- President Lula condemned reported US bombings and the seizure of President Maduro, calling such actions a grave violation of sovereignty.
- CELAC provides a forum excluding the US and Canada, focused on political coordination among Latin American and Caribbean states.
- Brazil offered to promote dialogue and international cooperation to preserve the region as a zone of peace.
