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The Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, has stated that Venezuela is a part of BRICS and the path to join the BRICS group is being cleared. He was speaking during an interview with Brazilian journalist Breno Altman, broadcast by Venezolana de Television TV channel. Brazil had previously blocked Venezuela from joining due to concerns about the legitimacy of the elected Venezuelan government.
Maduro said that “As far as BRICS is concerned, I hope that the way will be cleared and that the reality will be recognized – Venezuela is part of BRICS. It is necessary to turn the page and look to the future”.
Maduro said that the hero of Venezuela’s national liberation struggle against Spanish colonial rule, Simon Bolivar, “dreamed of BRICS 200 years ago”. The president recalled that the country’s former leader, Hugo Chavez, “saw Venezuela’s path to BRICS and included this provision in the government’s programme”.
Like Russia and Iran, Venezuela has been heavily sanctioned by the United States. However, Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves, and ninth largest gas reserves. Caracas has also suggested it may transfer US-owned oil contracts to BRICS member states, in what would amount to practical reality edging ahead of democratic political viewpoints as concerns Venezuela’s South American partners. Pressure for Venezuelan democratic reform has often been directed at Caracas via Argentina and Brazil from the United States, leading to Venezuela being suspended from the regional Mercosur Free Trade Bloc as one example. At the BRICS summit in Kazan, Brazil vetoed Venezuela’s entry into the group, linking the decision to the outcome of Venezuela’s presidential election, which Brazil considered inconsistent with democratic principles.
There has also been regional discomfort at the volume and reasoning behind the sanctions placed on Russia – leading to a reassessment that sanctions on Venezuela may also be about US control of Venezuelan energy reserves rather than bona fide concerns over democratic values.
Maduro’s comments suggest that some rapprochement with Brazil is at least underway, and that Brazil may soon withdraw its Venezuelan BRICS veto. If this happens, Venezuela will join Brazil, as well as Bolivia and Cuba as a BRICS participant, albeit probably as a Partner rather than Full member. Colombia and Nicaragua have also expressed interest in joining the group.
Decisions concerning South American development as concerns BRICS will likely be announced at the 2025 BRICS summit, which is scheduled to be held in Rio De Janeiro later in the year.
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