Venezuela’s border with Brazil has been temporarily closed following the US’s early morning attack on Caracas, where US forces also “captured” President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
A Brazilian military official told Al Jazeera that the border crossing between Pacaraima, Brazil’s capital and Santa Elena de Uairen, Venezuela, had been closed for about five hours, preventing foreigners from entering Brazil.
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Venezuela’s entry and exit criteria were not specifically stated in the official protocol. Brazilians are permitted to leave, but Venezuelans are subject to restrictions. The official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the subject, claimed that this could change at any time.
The governor of the state of Roraima informed Reuters that the border had been reopened following the brief closure, and the head of Brazil’s Federal Police made the announcement.
Brazil’s government stated that it is monitoring the border and has dispatched military personnel there to increase security.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil stated in a statement that “the minister of defense indicated that there is no unusual activity on the border between Brazil and Venezuela, which will continue to be monitored,” and that he is speaking with the Roraima governor.
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics estimates that Venezuelans make up the country’s largest foreign population. 77,563 people from Roraima are a single immigrant in the state. In total, 8 million Venezuelans have left their homes over the past ten years, with more than 6 million others settling in other Latin American nations.
According to Jessica Leon Cedeno, a Venezuelan journalist who lives in Sao Paulo, “I believe it’s very possible that there will be an exodus of Venezuelans to Brazil, and we are already seeing tangible signs of it.”
“Many people have emigrated to the United States in search of better opportunities and living conditions.”
Lula claims that US attacks could “destabilize” the area.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized US President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela on Saturday as “unacceptable.”
Lula on X wrote, “The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line.” This is another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community and a grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
In light of Venezuela’s growing US military presence off the coast, Brazil’s leader has urged restraint for months.
Analysts worry that Maduro’s removal could cause Venezuela to become a rogue state, leading to a further wave of mass migration, as it did in 2019 following a failed attempt to remove him.
A potential wave of migration, according to Joao Carlos Jarochinski Silva, a professor of international relations at the Federal University of Roraima, would depend on a number of factors, including whether Maduro’s regime will continue its military operations there and whether what remains of Maduro’s regime will rebel.
What is Chavismo’s resilience capacity in Venezuela? referring to the political movement whose name was derived from Hugo Chavez, Jarochinski Silva said. Given the current circumstances, there is no reason to be concerned about the consequences that might be truly worrying.
He continued, noting that Trump has not addressed pressing humanitarian issues and has only recently focused on applauding his military’s actions in Venezuela. The Trump administration cut funding for USAID, Venezuela’s main international aid organization, earlier this year, which had a significant impact on Brazil and Colombia’s neighbors.
Source: Aljazeera
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