The deposed President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, should be tried in his homeland, not abroad. This was stated by the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, quoted by Reuters.
The Venezuelan leader was captured by the US military in Caracas in early 2026 and taken to New York, where he was accused of drug trafficking.
According to Lula, the most important thing now is to restore democracy in Venezuela. He stressed that Brazil cannot accept the capture of one head of state by another.
Lula believes that Brazilian citizens accused of crimes and living in the United States should be tried in Brazil, saying he intends to submit a written proposal on the matter to US President Donald Trump. He said he wants to negotiate with Trump on issues related to organized crime, drug trafficking and rare earth minerals.
Lula's relationship with Trump has improved since last year, when Trump imposed tariffs on Brazilian goods over Brazil's treatment of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was jailed for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.