Brazilian president defends Chavez and criticizes US
{{date|March 31, 2005}}

The [[Brazil]]ian President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] met the leaders of [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]] and [[Spain]], in {{w|Ciudad Guyana}}, 500 km (311 miles) from [[Caracas]], in Venezuela, Tuesday, March 29.

The regional summit aimed to improve the diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela, that had been shaken after the arrest of the {{w|FARC}} {{w|Communism|communist}} member Rodrigo Granda, in December, last year.

The following leaders were present at the meeting: the President of Colombia, {{w|Alvaro Uribe|Álvaro Uribe Velez}}; the Spanish Prime Minister, {{w|José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero}}; the President of Venezuela, [[Hugo Chávez]]; and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

During the summit, the Brazilian president defended  the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and he criticized indirectly the government of the {{w|United States}} for his opinions in relation to Chávez. According to Lula, [[South America]] is capable of taking care of its  own problems.

Lula said: "We do not accept defamations against our "companheiros" (comrades). We do not accept insinuations against comrades. Venezuela has the right to be a sovereign country, to take its  own decisions". Lula also added that he is not afraid of doing this affirmation in "any place of the world".

The {{w|United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of  Defense}}, [[Donald Rumsfeld]], was in Brazil on March 22 and he said that he was very worried about  the political situation in Venezuela. Venezuela is buying weapons and warlike material in great quantity and Washington is considering the country a harmful influence in the region. Recently Venezuela announced that it would buy 100,000 AK-47 rifles.

Lula also said:"I believe that Venezuela has the right to be a sovereign country, of making its own decisions and, at the same time, Venezuela does not need to be accused of things that those who are with you know that this is not part of your thought nor of your behavior."

"There is{{sic}} many people  talking badly about us in the world", he added.

The Venezuelan President   did  a calmer speech for the US: "We are not here to cause problems to anybody, for any reason. We were called to form this new geopolitical map, without confrontation with nobody (...) because it is convenient for us and all: it is convenient for the investors, for international businessmen, for national businessmen and for the  United States themselves."

Chávez and Lula both denied any involvement between their governments and the FARC guerrilla.

The  Spanish  Prime Minister, José Luis Zapatero said: "This is a meeting for the dialogue and the cooperation between free and democratic nations that want the advance of their people".

{{haveyoursay}}
== Related news ==
*{{wikinews|title=Capture of FARC member creates crisis between Venezuela and Colombia|date=January 15, 2005}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/15194_spain.html
|title=Spain looks for closer ties with Latin America
|author=
|pub=Pravda
|date=March 30, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com/
|title=Zapatero and weapons in Venezuela
|author=
|pub=Venezuela News And Views
|date=March 30, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4325334
|title=Colombia Appeals for World Help at Latin Summit
|author=
|pub=Press Association
|date=March 30, 2005
|brokenURL=yes
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410215150/http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4325334
|archivedescription=Archived from the original on April 10, 2005 via the Internet Archive
}}

*{{source|url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/brasil/ult96u68101.shtml
|title=Lula defende Chávez dos EUA e diz não aceitar "difamações"
|author=
|pub=Folha de São Paulo
|date=March 30, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.vermelho.org.br/diario/2005/0330/0330_cupula.asp
|title= EUA são alvo de duras críticas durante cúpula presidencial em Cidade Guaiana
|author=
|pub=Diário Vermelho
|date=March 30, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1562
|title=US State Department Releases Critical Report on Venezuela's Human Rights
|author=
|pub= Venezuelanalysis.com
|date=March 29, 2005  }}

*{{source|url=http://www.radiobras.gov.br/materia_i_2004.php?materia=220179&q=1&editoria=
|title=América do Sul é capaz de cuidar de seus próprios assuntos, diz Lula na Venezuela
|author=Spensy Pimentel
|pub=Radiobras
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.radiobras.gov.br/materia_i_2004.php?materia=220096&q=1&editoria=
|title="Novos conceitos morais e éticos" definem alianças com Brasil, diz vice-ministro venezuelano
|author=Spensy Pimentel
|pub=Radiobras
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.el-nacional.com/Articulos/DetalleArticulo.asp?idSeccion=64&id=58369
|title=Chávez y Zapatero defendieron negociación de equipos militares
|author=
|pub=El Nacional (Venezuela)
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.estadao.com.br/rss/agestado/2005/mar/29/171.htm
|title=Lula defende Chávez e manda recado à Casa Branca
|author=Denise Chrispim Marin
|pub=O Estado de São Paulo
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://granmai.cubaweb.com/ingles/2005/marzo/mar29/14venez.html
|title=Weapons for the people
|author=Lidice  Valenzuela
|pub=Granma
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://english.eluniversal.com/2005/03/29/en_pol_art_29A545989.shtml
|title=The Washington Post warns against self-censorship in Venezuelan media
|author=
|pub= El Universal
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://english.eluniversal.com/2005/03/29/en_pol_art_29A545981.shtml
|title=Chávez, Lula, Uribe, Rodríguez Zapatero take sides
|author=
|pub= El Universal
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://english.eluniversal.com/2005/03/29/en_pol_art_29A546059.shtml
|title=Regional summit inaugurated in Venezuela
|author=
|pub= El Universal
|date=March 29, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1560
|title=Rumsfeld Criticisms of Venezuela Rejected by Brazil's Ruling Party
|author= Cleto A. Sojo
|pub= Venezuelanalysis.com
|date=March 28, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1406
|title=Washington Focuses on Cuba-Venezuela 'Axis of Evil'
|author=Jim Lobe
|pub=IPS
|date=March 26, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/world/story/524B98E494908A3286256FCE00147222?OpenDocument
|title=Rumsfeld assails Venezuela's move to buy AK-47s
|author=
|pub=AP
|date=March 24, 2005 }}

*{{source|url=http://granmai.cubaweb.com/ingles/2005/febrero/mier16/8cumcu.html
|title= Chávez-Uribe Summit leads to new stage in Colombia-Venezuela relations
|author=
|pub=Granma
|date=February 16, 2005 }}

{{publish}}
{{archive}}

[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Brazil]]
[[Category:Venezuela]]
[[Category:Colombia]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Hugo Chávez]]
[[Category:Donald Rumsfeld]]
[[Category:Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]]

[[de:Zapatero beschließt Kooperation mit Brasilien, Kolumbien und Venezuela]]
[[es:Lula defiende a Chávez y critica a Estados Unidos]]
[[pt:Lula defende Chávez e critica EUA durante encontro]]
The Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met the leaders of Colombia, Venezuela and Spain, in , 500 km (311 miles) from Caracas, in Venezuela, Tuesday, March 29.

The regional summit aimed to improve the diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela, that had been shaken after the arrest of the Communism|communist member Rodrigo Granda, in December, last year.

The following leaders were present at the meeting: the President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe Velez; the Spanish Prime Minister, ; the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez; and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

During the summit, the Brazilian president defended  the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and he criticized indirectly the government of the  for his opinions in relation to Chávez. According to Lula, South America is capable of taking care of its  own problems.

Lula said: "We do not accept defamations against our "companheiros" (comrades). We do not accept insinuations against comrades. Venezuela has the right to be a sovereign country, to take its  own decisions". Lula also added that he is not afraid of doing this affirmation in "any place of the world".

The US Secretary of  Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, was in Brazil on March 22 and he said that he was very worried about  the political situation in Venezuela. Venezuela is buying weapons and warlike material in great quantity and Washington is considering the country a harmful influence in the region. Recently Venezuela announced that it would buy 100,000 AK-47 rifles.

Lula also said:"I believe that Venezuela has the right to be a sovereign country, of making its own decisions and, at the same time, Venezuela does not need to be accused of things that those who are with you know that this is not part of your thought nor of your behavior."

"There is many people  talking badly about us in the world", he added.

The Venezuelan President   did  a calmer speech for the US: "We are not here to cause problems to anybody, for any reason. We were called to form this new geopolitical map, without confrontation with nobody (...) because it is convenient for us and all: it is convenient for the investors, for international businessmen, for national businessmen and for the  United States themselves."

Chávez and Lula both denied any involvement between their governments and the FARC guerrilla.

The  Spanish  Prime Minister, José Luis Zapatero said: "This is a meeting for the dialogue and the cooperation between free and democratic nations that want the advance of their people".


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de:Zapatero beschließt Kooperation mit Brasilien, Kolumbien und Venezuela
es:Lula defiende a Chávez y critica a Estados Unidos
Lula defende Chávez e critica EUA durante encontro
Politics and conflicts Brazil Venezuela Colombia Spain South America Hugo Chávez Donald Rumsfeld Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva