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Along with Araújo, Pompeo visited this Friday (18) the facilities of Operation Welcome, on the border of Brazil with Venezuela. The secretary criticized the Venezuelan government and said that the United States would “remove” Nicolás Maduro from the presidency of Venezuela.

“Only the Brazil-United States alliance fears those who fear democracy. Brazil + United States for a free Venezuela,” Araújo wrote on a social network.

In a note, Rodrigo Maia said on Friday (18) that Pompeo’s presence in the area on the eve of the presidential elections in the United States does not “agree with good international diplomatic practice” and is an attack on Brazilian foreign and defense policy.

“As President of the Chamber of Deputies, I find myself under the obligation to reiterate the provisions of Article 4 of the Federal Constitution, which lists the principles by which Brazil must guide its international relations. In particular, the principles of: (I) national independence; (III) self-determination of the peoples; (IV) non-intervention; and (V) defense of peace ”, said Maia.

In addition to the message on the social network, Araújo published a text on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which he affirms that Maia’s note is based on “insufficient information” and “misinterpretations.”

“As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I also see myself under the obligation to reiterate the provisions of Article 4 of the Federal Constitution, section II, which places the” prevalence of human rights “among the principles that should guide Brazil’s international relations” , wrote. Araújo.

According to him, “the legacy of the Brazilian diplomatic tradition does not include indifference towards our neighbors. In the current case of Venezuela, such indifference would be immoral and would endanger the security of Brazilians.”

Read below the full note issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Visit of the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, and Minister Ernesto Araújo to the Operation, welcome in Boa Vista-RR: comments from Minister Ernesto Araújo

The content of the note of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Deputy Rodrigo Maia, when criticizing the visit that the Secretary of State of the United States made, in my company, to the facilities of the Operation Welcome in Boa Vista on 09/18, it is based on insufficient and misinterpreted information, which I respectfully correct and clarify here.

First of all, let me point out that the Brazilian people are in solidarity with neighboring peoples and Operation Welcome represents that solidarity. The Brazilian people value their own security, and the persistence in Venezuela of a regime allied with drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime permanently threatens that security. The Brazilian people are deeply attached to democracy and the Maduro regime constantly works to undermine democracy throughout South America.

There is no “autonomy and haughtiness” in ignoring the suffering of the Venezuelan people or neglecting the security of the Brazilian people. Autonomy and haughtiness do mean breaking a spiral of irresponsible inertia and complicit silence, or shameless collaboration, which, practiced for 20 years in the face of the growing misfortunes of the Chávez-Maduro regime, contributed much to what is perhaps the greatest . humanitarian tragedy already experienced in our region. The sad history of Brazilian diplomacy for Venezuela between 1999 and 2018 is an example of blindness and ideological submission, highly detrimental to the material and moral interests of the Brazilian people and all of Latin America.

I remember that the United States of America has already donated 50 million dollars for Operation Welcome and that yesterday Secretary Mike Pompeo announced the donation of an additional 30 million dollars for this Operation. It’s a huge amount, given that the Brazilian government has already spent $ 400 million on Operation Acolhida. The United States has also dedicated significant amounts to help host Venezuelan immigrants and refugees in Colombia and other countries. Brazil and the United States, therefore, are at the forefront of solidarity with the Venezuelan people, oppressed by the Maduro dictatorship.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I also see myself under the obligation to reiterate the provisions of Article 4 of the Federal Constitution, section II, which places the “validity of human rights” among the principles that should guide Brazil’s international relations. I note that on 9/16, a verification mission of the UN Human Rights Council (created with the co-sponsorship of Brazil) presented a report in which it estimates that Nicolás Maduro and the ministers of his regime committed crimes against humanity by systematically practice torture. , murders, arbitrary detentions and other atrocities. Making human rights prevail, as stipulated in the Constitution, requires that Brazil continue to speak, more than ever, to expose the suffering of Venezuelans to world attention and work in favor of the redemocratization of Venezuela, the only way to return the country . respect for human rights in that country.

There is absolutely nothing in Brazil’s position against the Maduro dictatorship and in favor of a free Venezuela, which violates any of the principles of article 4 of the Constitution. On the contrary, our actions would not comply with the Constitution if we close our eyes to the Venezuelan tragedy.

Seeking peace does not mean cowering before tyrants and criminals. National independence does not mean rejecting alliances that help us defend our most urgent interests and our most expensive values. Promoting Latin American integration does not mean facilitating the integration of the drug cartels. Non-interference does not mean letting criminals act undisturbed. Consult the teachings of the good diplomatic tradition, enshrined in leaders such as José Bonifácio, Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Joaquim Nabuco and Oswaldo Aranha, as well as in Barão do Rio Branco himself.

The legacy of the Brazilian diplomatic tradition does not include indifference towards our neighbors. In the current case of Venezuela, such indifference would be immoral and endanger the safety of Brazilians.

I am very proud to contribute, together with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, under the leadership of Presidents Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump, to build a fruitful and deep partnership between Brazil and the United States, the two largest democracies in America. Only those who fear this association are those who fear democracy.