RT.com
22 Mar 2026, 18:11 GMT+10
Brazil's president has slammed the US kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro and the oil blockade of Cuba
Latin America faces the threat of a return to colonial rule, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said, describing the White House's recent moves in the region as undemocratic.
The United States kidnapped Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January before imposing an oil blockade on Cuba last month after US President Donald Trump accused the island nation of being a threat. Washington has also launched numerous lethal, extrajudicial strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific in an attempt to fight drug trafficking.
Lula blasted Washington's foreign policy during the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in Bogota, Columbia on Saturday, while refraining from directly mentioning the US or Trump.
"It's not possible for someone to think that they own other countries. What are they doing with Cuba now? What did they do with Venezuela? Is that democratic?" he asked rhetorically.
Latina America has already been drained of gold, diamonds and minerals, the Brazilian leader said, referring to US interference in the region since the 1823 declaration of the Monroe Doctrine, which laid claim to the Western Hemisphere as a US sphere of interest. Washington's presence had subsided significantly following the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.
"After taking everything we had, now they want to own the critical minerals and rare earths that we have. They want to colonize us again," he warned.
The leaders of Latin American countries "cannot allow anyone to interfere and violate the territorial integrity of each country," Lula stressed.
Trump said earlier this week that he expects to have the "honor" of "taking Cuba in some form," claiming that he can do anything he wants with the island.
Amid oil shortages caused by the US blockade, Cuba plunged into a second nationwide blackout since the start of the week on Saturday, leaving more than 10 million people without electricity.
READ MORE: Cuba suffers nationwide power outage amid US blockade
Colombian President Gustavo Petro told Politico on Thursday that Latin America is not a "land to be conquered." He advised Washington to engage in dialogue with Havana, "instead of imposing an empire from which Cubans always liberate themselves."
Get a daily dose of Chile Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Chile Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta said that she, along with other women and girls, was sexually abused by César...
(260322) -- TORUN, March 22, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Roger Steen of the United States competes during the men's shot put final at the 2026...
(260322) -- TORUN, March 22, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Natalia Linares of Colombia competes during the women's long jump final at the 2026 World...
Brazil's president has slammed the US kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro and the oil blockade of Cuba ...
Goiania (Brazil), March 22 (ANI): Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) came out on top in a dramatic Q2 in the...
(260322) -- TORUN, March 22, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chen Yuanjiang (R) of China shakes hand with Jakub Szymanski of Poland after the men's...
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar welcomed French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot to...
While breaking news stories capture our attention-North Korea's recent launching of 10 ballistic missiles grabbed headlines-there's...
The art of diplomacy is relaying messages to your interlocutors in a polite manner, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has explained The Russian...
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 22 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday emphasised that the government has...
Arad [Israel], March 22 (ANI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday urged global leaders to join with Israel and the...
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], March 22 (ANI): Governor of Uttarakhand, Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd), on Sunday praised...
