Venezuela's rejection from developing economies alliance heightens tensions with member Brazil

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela’s authorities connected Wednesday doubled down connected its attacks against Brazilian overseas relations officials, accusing them of jeopardizing negotiated relations betwixt nan neighboring South American countries by acting connected behalf of nan interests of nan United States.

The broadsides from nan authorities of President Nicolás Maduro came a time aft a apical overseas argumentation advisor to Brazil’s president said nan state had not supported Venezuela’s bid to subordinate nan BRICS bloc of processing economies astatine nan group’s caller acme successful Russia. That move added to nan monthslong tensions betwixt some countries complete nan disputed results of Venezuela’s July statesmanlike predetermination and consequent calls for transparency from Brazil and different nations.

Venezuela’s Foreign Relations Ministry said successful a connection it had summoned Brazil’s chargé d’affaires successful Venezuela, Breno Hermann, to “express its strongest rejection of nan recurrent interventionist and rude statements of spokespersons authorized by nan Brazilian government.” Brazil's embassy successful Caracas, nan capital, declined to comment.

In nan statement, nan ministry accused Celso Amorim, Brazil’s erstwhile overseas affairs curate and a typical advisor to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, of acting “like a messenger of American imperialism” by “issuing worth judgments connected processes that only correspond to Venezuelans and their antiauthoritarian institutions.” It added that his actions are “threatening nan ties that merge some countries.”

Amorim connected Tuesday successful a proceeding earlier Brazilian lawmakers acknowledged “discomfort” betwixt nan 2 countries, attributing it to nan Maduro government's refusal to people elaborate predetermination results supporting nan triumph that electoral authorities handed nan president. He later said that an betterment of nan negotiated relations "will dangle connected actions” taken by Venezuela, but he did not connection immoderate specifics.

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry successful Brasilia did not instantly respond to a petition for remark from The Associated Press.

Venezuela's electoral authorities claimed they could not people nan elaborate results because their website was hacked. At nan aforesaid time, nan main guidance conjugation secured ballot tally sheets from much than 80% of nan physics voting machines utilized crossed nan country, published them online and declared that its candidate, erstwhile diplomat Edmundo González, had defeated Maduro by a landslide.

In nan days aft nan July 28 election, Lula, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador – each leftists and friends pinch Maduro – inserted themselves into Venezuela’s predetermination standoff to effort a peacemaking effort. But it went nowhere, and Maduro has since consolidated his rule, reshuffled his Cabinet and jailed much than 2,000 opponents.

The BRICS bloc, which initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to clasp Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, nan United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Brazil opposed including Venezuela astatine nan group’s acme earlier this month.

“Brazil does not want an indefinite description ,” Amorim told lawmakers. “Brazil believes its members should beryllium countries pinch power that tin thief correspond nan region. And Venezuela coming does not meet these conditions, successful our opinion. Now, that isn’t a veto; that was expressed. And there, decisions are by consensus.”

Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Ministry characterized nan move arsenic “irrational behavior” and likened it to nan economical sanctions that nan U.S. imposed against nan South American country.