Brazil statement at a UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela

Here is an excerpt of the remarks by Sergio Franca Danese, Brazil's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council emergency meeting on Venezuela in New York on Monday:

Brazil categorically and firmly rejects the armed intervention in Venezuelan territory in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law.

The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its President crossed an unacceptable line. These acts constitute a very serious affront to the sovereignty of Venezuela and set an extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.

As Brazil has reiterated on numerous occasions, the norms that govern coexistence among states are mandatory and universal. They do not admit exceptions based on ideological, geopolitical, political, economic, or any other kind of interests or projects. They do not admit that the exploitation of natural or economic resources justifies the use of force or the illegal change of a government.

For the first time in South America, a profoundly alarming event has occurred. An external armed aggression with the deployment of troops and bombings in a neighboring country contiguous with Brazil, with which we share more than 2,000 kilometers of border.

The events of January 3rd transcend the regional sphere. The attack on the sovereignty of any country, regardless of the direction of its government, affects the entire international community. This and other cases of armed intervention against the sovereignty of a country, its territorial integrity, or its institutions must be vehemently condemned.

It is up to this Council to assume its responsibility and react with determination, clarity, and obedience to international law in order to prevent the law of force from prevailing over the force of law.

Brazil trusts that the future of Venezuela will be built by the Venezuelan people through dialogue, without external interference and within the framework of international law.