BRASILIA, Dec 11 (Reuters) – Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke last month with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro about the situation in the Caribbean and South America, the Brazilian government said on Thursday.
The two leaders held a “quick call” on November 21, the government said, adding that there were no further developments after the call.
The call was their first since before last year’s presidential election in Venezuela. At the time, the Brazilian government and international observers contested Maduro’s self-proclaimed reelection.
Brazilian newspaper O Globo, citing sources, was the first on Thursday to report the call. Its report said Lula expressed concerns about the growing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro’s socialist government.
In previous talks with Trump, the leftist Brazilian leader has offered to act as a mediator in negotiations between the U.S. and Venezuela, but has not received a response from Washington.
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Paul Simao)
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