We Will Go The Limit of Itamarty, Says Bolsonaro on Venezuela

President declares, in exclusive conversation, that that crack at bottom ranks of Venezuelan armed forces could move to top

São Paulo

President Jair Bolsonaro declared, in an exclusive conversation, that Brazil will go to the “limits of Itamaraty” to help what he considered as the reestablishment of democracy in Venezuela. In other words,  Brazil will influence Venezuela’s transition through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

He gave the interview by telephone when he was preparing to leave for Camboriú (SC) with federal deputy Marco Feliciano (Pode-SP). The two will participate in an evangelical festival in the city. 

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro walks next to Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Remigio Ceballos, Strategic Operational Commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, during a ceremony at a military base in Caracas, Venezuela May 2, 2019. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. ORG XMIT: VEN02 - REUTERS

For the president, “this crack that exists at bottom of the military will spread to higher levels in the [armed forces]

Bolsonaro also said that “Maduro does not control himself. Who controls him are the generals, the Cubans, and a good part the Russians. He is watched all of the time.” 

The president claimed that “The Hezbollah [Lebanese Shiite movement] has cells there.” The accusation was made by American authorities and denied by the Shiites. 

"Everything that is not good is in there," says the president. "There are no dogs or cats there anymore, they have eaten everything."

Asked how far the Brazilian government is willing to go to help take Maduro out of power, he replied: "We will go to the limits of Itamaraty [Ministry of Foreign Affairs.]  Without straying from the de facto path, we will do everything we can to restore democracy in Venezuela.”

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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