Brazilian President Lula says Maduro should face justice in Venezuela

​​​​​​​By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took a diplomatic stance Friday on the detention of Nicolas Maduro, asserting that the Venezuelan leader must face legal accountability within his own borders rather than in a foreign courtroom.

The comments at the Artificial Intelligence Summit in India follow the abduction of Maduro in Caracas by the US on Jan. 3.

"I am of the firm belief that if Nicolás Maduro is to stand trial, he should be tried in Venezuela, not abroad," Lula told India Today TV, emphasizing a commitment to national jurisdiction over international intervention.

Lula said the ultimate objective remains the "restoration of democracy in Venezuela," but the methods used to achieve it must respect the fundamental principles of national sovereignty.

He argued that the international community cannot set a precedent where a sitting head of state is forcibly captured by another nation. He drew a parallel to legal disputes involving Brazilian citizens in the US, maintaining his long-standing position that individuals should be prosecuted in their home countries according to their own constitutional frameworks.

Venezuela is undergoing radical structural reforms under the direct tutelage of the Trump administration, with Delcy Rodríguez serving as interim president. On Thursday, the Venezuelan Congress unanimously passed a sweeping amnesty law, marking a significant legislative shift.

But Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, remain in preventive detention on US soil. The US justice system has leveled grave allegations against the couple, linking them to international cocaine trafficking operations.

Lula’s comments come at a delicate moment in Brazil-US relations. Lula is working to finalize a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, tentatively scheduled for March.

Beyond the Venezuelan crisis, Lula’s agenda is focused on repealing the burdensome extra tariffs that continue to stifle trade between the two largest economies in the Americas.