On May 30, 2023, a meeting of the heads of state of South America was held in Brasilia at the initiative of President Luiz Ignácio Lula da Silva. This meeting marked the first time in eight years that all the representatives of the 11 countries of the subregion met.
However, beyond the general agreements proposed, this meeting served once again to highlight a deeper problem with historical roots, which is reflected in the international scenario. Venezuela became a laboratory for the experimentation of international interference, from the coup attempt against Chávez in 2002 to the intensification of actions after Nicolás Maduro came to power.
Actions against Venezuela included direct economic warfare, sanctions, and the plundering of its resources, as well as violence unleashed in the streets. There was also a media campaign to criminalize the Venezuelan process and a campaign of internal and international political aggression, such as the attempted isolation of the country and the boycott of its institutions.
These policies of aggression, backed by an international alliance and the support of local elites, have had direct consequences for the lives of Venezuelans and have hindered the progress of transformation policies in the country.
Despite this, Chavismo has resisted this attack, and the Venezuelan revolutionary process has survived. Moreover, the changing regional and international situation can strengthen Venezuela’s internal process of transformation.
At the South American summit, the resurgence of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) was evidenced by the impulses of Argentina and Brazil. Caracas’ application to join the BRICS was also announced through the mediation of Brazil.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made clear his position in favor of recognizing Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela and dismantling the narrative built against him at the international level.
There were differences of opinion at the summit, such as the position of Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who insisted on the human rights situation in Venezuela, ignoring the problems in his own country. The Uruguayan president, Luis Lacalle Pou, expressed his dissatisfaction with the recovery of regional organizations and integration, considering them political and ideological.
Latin American integration arose as a response to US dominance, and to deny the need for independent organizations is to accept the previous status quo.
The process of second independence is a current demand of the Latin American peoples, and the construction of the “backyard” for the rise of the United States could become its runway. This would lead to a paradigm shift and question the political regimes created under the logic of US domination and local elites.