Brazil, US discuss Venezuela elections

Brazil and the US exchanged ideas during a meeting between US Deputy State Secretary John Sullivan and Brazil’s acting foreign minister, Ambassador Marcos Galvão. The assembly took place Tuesday (May 22) and focused on relevant regional issues, including the response to the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela—especially with regards to the May 20 election, which saw Nicolás Maduro re-elected as president of the neighboring country.

After the meeting, Brazil’s Foreign Ministry released a note saying that, besides the Venezuelan elections, which lacked “legitimacy and credibility,” the two countries discussed other global issues, particularly the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

US Deputy State Secretary ​John Sullivan - Wilson Dias/Agência Brasil

In addition to Sullivan, the US delegation was made up of US Ambassador to Brazil Michael McKinley, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Francisco Palmieri, and Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh.

Ambassador Marcos Galvão headed the Brazilian delegation, which included representatives from the Foreign, Justice, and Defense Ministries; the Cabinet for Institutional Security; and the Extraordinary Ministry of Public Security.

The two delegations also launched the Permanent Forum on Security, aimed at fighting international violations, drug and gun trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, financial crimes, and terrorism.

Other top priority goals for bilateral relations were discussed, in accordance with the US–Brazil 10-Point Agenda, such as trade, investment, space cooperation, and defense.