Venezuela's Maduro Calls for Worldwide Solidarity With Brazil

As Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff faces her greatest crisis to date, her Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, has called for global solidarity against the brewing storm in South America’s largest country.

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The tense situation also implicates former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is accused of financial corruption.

“We raise the voice of worldwide solidarity with Dilma and Lula before the media-justice coup in Brazil,” Maduro wrote on Twitter.

He encouraged social movements to strengthen across Latin America to face the attacks against the two politicians.

“Rise up Popular and Democratic Popular Movement of Our America to face to the coup in Brazil,” he wrote. “It is the time to fight!”

Levantemos la Voz de la Solidaridad Mundial con Dilma y Lula ante el Golpe Mediático-Judicial en Brasil... pic.twitter.com/9dPHjhtKTJ

— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) March 17, 2016

Maduro warned that the attacks on the Brazilian government form part of the imperial offensive trying to bring down the revolutionary and progressive forces of the region.

“No one should be fooled, it is an imperial offense that tries to put an end to the progressive and revolutionary forces ... fight and win,” he added.

Brazil’s lower house of Congress launched the beginning of impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff Thursday by approving the creation of a 65-member committee that will study whether there are grounds to remove her.

Rousseff is currently facing challenges from the right-wing opposition who have begun a campaign calling for her impeachment, a process which had been stalled previously over the intransigence of the head of the lower chamber, Eduardo Cunha, who is facing his own challenge to his authority.

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On Thursday, lawmakers voted 433-1 to create the committee that is tasked with reporting to the full lower house. Approval from two-thirds of the 513 members of the lower house would be needed to proceed to a formal trial in the Senate.

Earlier on Thursday, a Brazilian judge issued an injunction to annul the appointment of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as minister of the presidency.

Lula was sworn in Thursday morning as the chief of staff to the current head of state Dilma Rousseff, but a Brazilian court is seeking to block the appointment.

Opposition lawmakers claim the appointment of Lula to the Cabinet is meant to shield Lula from prosecution for money laundering charges. Under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can order the investigation, imprisonment or trial of a government minister.

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