Brazil's Lula Vows to Speak With Trump to Avoid Conflict With Venezuela: 'One Shot Is All it Takes and Who Knows What Could Happen'

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Sunday he intends to speak with President Donald Trump to prevent a military confrontation with Venezuela, warning that rising tensions in the Caribbean could destabilize the region.

"I'm worried because South America is considered a zone of peace," Lula said after the G20 Leaders' Summit in South Africa. Referring to the U.S. military deployment off Venezuela's coast, he added, "I am very worried. And I intend to talk to President Trump about this because it concerns me."

Brazil shares a long border with Venezuela, and Lula said that "is not a minor issue," stressing that Brazil "has a responsibility to South America" to avoid escalation. He warned, "We are not going to repeat the mistake made in the war between Russia and Ukraine. To begin with, one shot is all it takes and who knows what could happen. That is why it's important we find a solution before it starts."

Trump said Saturday he had recently spoken with Lula and planned to meet with him "very soon." The two leaders met in Malaysia in late October after months of trade tensions.

Lula has repeatedly criticized the U.S. buildup, which Washington describes as part of counter-narcotics operations and which Venezuela says is aimed at regime change. In early November, he said he had told Trump that "political problems are not solved with weapons. They are solved with dialogue," adding that Brazil "does not want conflicts in South America" and is willing to help mediate. He said a land invasion would be unacceptable.

Lula also warned in October against "foreign intervention" in Latin America, saying such actions "can cause greater damages than those they seek to prevent." He reiterated that "the Venezuelan people own their destiny and no foreign president must dictate what Venezuela or Cuba will be like."

He also criticized the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean during a BRICS summit in September, calling it "a source of tension incompatible with the region's vocation for peace," adding that Brazil "does not accept orders from anyone" and urging BRICS members to defend multilateralism as U.S. naval deployments and strikes increased near Venezuela.